Where’s the circus gonna go?
10 March, 2011
So, when we have an 'indoor aquatic and leisure facility', where's the circus gonna go?
By Andrew McKenna
By now you should know that at Tuesday night’s Council meeting, Councillors voted 4-3 for a new indoor pool at Western Reserve.
And if you haven’t read it already, go to a thoughtful letter by David Cunningham on our letters to the editor page, entitled The Pool: a decision to regret for generations?
Council insist a significant community engagement process was conducted in March and April last year. They have sought advice on environmentally sustainable design.
‘Advice was also sought on opportunities to incorporate environmentally sustainable design options in any new development,’ their press release says.
‘The next steps in the process will include appointment of consultants to design the centre and preparation of funding applications to the State and Federal Government to assist with financing the project,’ their press release tells us.
(Oh God, here comes the march of the consultants with their pockets open.)
As David Cunningham says in his letter:
The Western Reserve is the only substantial piece of green open space in the middle of town, and it is vital to the feel of the town entrance. Victory Park is small, and activities there are very restricted. Look at the list of banned activities! On the Western Reserve you can kick a footy about, practise golf, enjoy the circus when it comes to town . . .
Council ‘confirmed its commitment’ to develop a ‘facility that contains a 25 metre indoor pool, learn to swim facilities and a multi-purpose warm water exercise pool’.
If Council were serious about building a pool, wouldn’t they go for 50-metre job? Who wants a 25-metre pool?
Council says they want Western Reserve because it is central, highly visible, and other services are nearby, including shops, tennis, the skate park and cycle track.
“We know that the future of aquatic facilities in the Shire is important to many people and Council acknowledges the input and feedback from those in the community and the strong views held by many,” said Cr Cropley.
“Our officers now have a clear direction to progress the plans to build this new facility, keeping in mind that we can only deliver it in partnership with the State and Federal Governments.”
Council has resolved to incorporate best practice in environmentally sustainable design and construction, yet they’re intending to pave over the green centre of Castlemaine in doing so.
And, as a young man I know said recently, ‘Where’s the circus gonna go?’
Posted in Arts, Environment, Local Government, Local news
March 10th, 2011 at 8:50 am
I am wondering if the consultants who advised the council on the cost of the pool know that the western reserve is the old creek bed that was filled in when forest creek was diverted. Building on this site may be far more expensive than has been estimated
March 10th, 2011 at 9:51 am
Figures have just been released via the ‘Freeedom for Information’ act on the costs of repairing the existing pool. (Sorry I’ve put the paper in re-cycling so cannot accurately quote figures) The refurbishment was something ljke 2 million on the existing 50 metre pool. Far, far cheaper than the 14 million for ruining the centre of Castlemaine with a block of concrete. If an indoor pool is needed, why not a roof over the existing one? In Switzerland they build retractable roofs over ice rinks in the mountains. When it snows the roof is opened to prevent the weight of the snow weighing it down. Here we could open the roof in the summer and have the best of both worlds.
How do we stop the council – 4 people – making a decision for us all which we don’t want? Maybe we can join forces with the Chewton Pool people and find out how they did it?
March 10th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Yes it only takes four people to destroy the country ambience of arriving in Castlemaine to find a gorgeous cricket match in full swing, kids on their trail bikes or an amazing display of vintage cars around the oval, perhaps a circus tent pitched with all the extra bits like camels. Why not roof the existing pool and extend. why not take over the railway buildings and devise a new/ historic indoor pool centre(before the MHS grabs it?). My god there are so many other options. Please stop! Stop destroying this exquisite little country town.The future is not going to be what you think, you four people whose names are not mentioned! Shame
March 10th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
I have a growing concern about this council NOT LISTENING to ratepayers. Brook Acklom’s website recently ran a POLL – more than 70 percent of participants said they did NOT want this pool.
We should also question the expense of the VCAT challenge for the BENDIGO BANK (which essentially overturned the design elements approved by council – in the face of massive community opposition).
How many times do residents have to go to VCAT before the mininster for Local Government or the OMBUDSMAN’s office intervenes on our behalf for a council which seems to be more dictatorship than democracy.
March 11th, 2011 at 5:14 am
1. Not a convincing vote 4-3.
2.The state of economies in Portugal, Northern Ireland, New York and Ontario Canada are good demonstrations that Australians need to heed. 70% off sales everywhere, now all year round; empty shops; multistorey offices being turned into home apartments; high unemployment; oil prices going up;
3. Revolutions in the MENA countries; possibility of such disturbances in the west eg, Italy, Greece, (Australia?).
4. Renovating older historical buildings for new uses is everywhere– Yes Sue Ingleton the railway shed could be cleverly converted to an indoor pool.OR cover the old one with a solar roof to be used to heat the pool in winter and moved sideways in two parts for sumnmer shade
5. It just has to be 50 metres- less is madness.
6. The green open space is totally priceless and MUST be retained– a pool does NOT need to be near shops.
7. Appoint a group of ten LOCALS including one of: artist, architect, designer, engineer, quantity surveyor, town planner…….you get the drift.
Sorry have to go.
Grace McCaughey
Dunda
Ontario
March 11th, 2011 at 9:44 am
Found the paper! The refurbishment costs for the existing pool range from $2.65million to $3.940 to 4.240million. This includes a new amenities and kiosk block, universal access ramp, new pump etc etc. For precise details see Castlemaine Mail March 4th. This includes a comment by the council as to why this information was not made public.
March 13th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
Sorry to break the news to you good folk (as much as I value and appreciate your concerns), but putting a roof over the old leaky pool or converting the railway shed into an aquatic centre would cost double the proposal on the table now. Retractable roof? Get Real! What on earth is so wrong with creating a state of the art, sustainable, and income generating aquatic centre in the centre of town, displaying adventurous 21st century architecture which might actually bring Castlemaine out of it’s romantic heritage hibernation? Adaptive re-use is fine for the right project and completely appropriate in some circumstances, but if you knew anything about aquatic centre design or project management, you’d know what a waste of money it would be not to build new. What State or Federal funding round is going to entertain such a knee-jerk design response? And as for loss of space, how about we just rip down those horrendous buildings on the south side of Forest Street between Wheeler and Barker to build real open space connectivity between the creek, skate park, aquatic centre and Victory Park? And do we really want to support animal exploitation so that a circus can come to town twice a year?
March 17th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Phil not only sounds SO out of step with this community, their needs and aspirations, he also seems to have no concept of what it is that makes this town so unique, and for many people, so special. It doesn’t even occur to him that modern 21st century architecture is not desired by most people in this town, particularly as it is ‘Castlemaine’s romantic heritage’ that attracts both its older residents, newcomers, and tourists. I would venture to suggest he doesn’t even live in this area, and if he does, one wonders why! The 21st century, with all its crass architecture, pollution, non-caring environment, is in the big cities, which would surely be more attuned to his belief systems. He only has to read a cross-section of letters from residents re the aquatic centre to see how out of step he is.
March 17th, 2011 at 8:53 am
Well Phil. You state: ” What is so wrong with creating a state of the art, sustainable, and income generating aquatic centre……”.I am very glad to break the news to you that: THE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT IT.
Get it Phil? The people of Castlemaine DO NOT WANT IT.
That’s called democracy Phil. Democracy is not four people deciding to spend millions in the name of the majority who don’t want that money wasted.
March 17th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Yes it must be a cold day in hell when i find myself agreeing with councillors acklom rewell and cross but there they are eating icecreams. What are the other councillors thinking? From a town planning perspective to have an open publicly accessible greenspace adjacent to the town centre, is a unique asset. What other comparable country town can boast this at the centre of town? I dont want to repeat what others have said but can only agree with the pleasures of finding a cricket match underway, or that the circus is in town, the hot rodders rodding, or a casual demo unfolding.
The unfortunate thing, phil( second name?), is that even if you could justify taking this space, we’re very unlikely to score anything adventurously 21st century, state of the art or sustainable given the buildings recently mooted for the town (the new country target store comes to mind). Knowing a bit about aquatic centre design and project management, i can see no reason why adaptive reuse could not be appropriate here . Granted the railway shed may not be the place but the “old, leaky” pool could easily be dragged into the 21st century. Sure too, wouldnt it be beautiful to establish a connection to the creek and tennis courts but hell would have to freeze twice before that comes about. I reckon you might find too that animal exploitation and circuses arent linked quite as much these days.
It would be slightly insane to plonk a pool on the oval. Michael Redden was quoted as saying something about needing to see the bigger picture, i just wish he’d expand on that and explain exactly what this bigger picture is, and why we cant do it somewhere else? I dont really fancy lying down in front of the dozers, or establishing a tent embassy down on the oval but if push comes to shove they might be options…
March 17th, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Phil (how about your second name Phil-so we know a little more about who you might be)
You loosely toss around buzz words and phrases like sustainable and state of the art in a bid to be impressive.
Please inform us just how sustainable it would be.
Perhaps you mean it would sustain the incomes of the few organisations/individuals who would be contracted to run it.
Tell you what Phil-it won’t even do that
And many of us who live here Phil like our romantic heritage feel-we celebrate it Phil-it has warmth and character which reflects the people who live here. I for one don’t want a cold steel and glass mausoleum.
March 18th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Here’s my take on ‘the bigger picture’. We are a SHIRE not just a town.
How about some decent roads just outside Castlemaine – ones that don’t get washed away every time it rains?
How about getting out into the SMALLER communities and developing/funding community events in EVERY township so that residents there can see THEIR rates in action?
How about some training for those staff and councillors who think their know better than the folks who have to FOOT THE BILL for their empire building?
Want city based ideals? How about working to get our rates DOWN to the same rateable percentages as those million dollar MacMansions in ‘burbs??
There are so many more equitable ways to manage OUR money…….
March 28th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
its a pity that some people always want to knock anything the council does or plans to do. Maybe more of these opinionated people should stand up to be councilors in the future.
I think its great to have a new year round pool.I think the kids and young people (and us older people too) in town will use it and love it.
Councils in country towns are always being knocked for not providing facilities for young people,and its a shame that our council are being knocked for trying to do this.
I also enjoy the unstructured nature of the western reserve, and I also think the the bus station should be pulled down and the whole site developed as a joint reserve AND aquatic centre. Now wouldn’t that be great!
April 4th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Well, I guess having lived here for the past 15 years and been pretty active in the community and raised three kids here makes me SO out of touch! (Thanks Gloria!)If I wanted personal attacks, I’d be advocating such, not an aquatic centre that the community can actually use more than 90 days a year. And you want my surname?? I tell you what, I’ll attach myself to a lynching post so you NIMBY’s can have a real go.
Vaughan says, “Get it Phil? The people of Castlemaine DO NOT WANT IT. That’s called democracy Phil. Democracy is not four people deciding to spend millions in the name of the majority who don’t want that money wasted.” I say, Vaughan why are you not putting your hand up to stand for Council? I say, some people DO WANT IT! Why does he who speaks loudest assumes to be the majority?
April 7th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
1. Let’s project oursevles into the future say into Castlemaine in 25 years. As the population keeps growing (which it will as people flee the huge polluted cities), our green open spaces in the centre of town will be even more prized, even more essential to physical and mental health. We must keep our Western Reserve. It’s great to see the cricket players, kids on bikes,people doing things in the fresh air there. Victory Park is lovely but too small.
2. Of course it would be wonderful to have an all-year swimming facility. It would be wonderful to have a lot of things – but can we afford them? Should a covered pool and gym and cafe etc that is projected to go with it, really be our priority? We do need better roads in many parts of our Shire. We do need to be able to provide accommodation for our homeless people (YES! We do have people with nowhere to go and people in crisis. At present there is NOTHING for them.)
3. I say, spend the money on remaking our present outdoor pool near the Botanical gardens so that it can become a covered pool. And a warm water pool for physiotherapy would be where it would be most needed – near the hostels and the nursing home.
4. Can we honestly bear the costs of building a new place that is very expensive to maintain? Let’s find out what the sports centre in Maryborough ends up costing the Council. It’s an admirable sports centre,but I wonder if it runs in the red or black.
Elizabeth Rider, Campbell’s Creek.
April 12th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Well Phil- You state, quite correctly that some do want to have the western oval destroyed and a pool built-and some do not,
So let us have a properly constructed shire wide poll conducted to get a resolution. A poll that is not biased in favour of a pre-ordained outcome.
It will never happen.