This means that there is no pool and it is a labor promise not a real promise. We have been fooled, time to rally and protest.

time maddern and mildenhall clarified whats going on.

Bernie Finn and Cam Nation

Do you know what is going on?

Don't believe everything you read. If the Age said Suleyman was a good mayor would you believe that too?

Just relax with the conspiracy theories.

I am not getting hysterical I am just confused as to which pool we are getting.

After Thursday night's farcical meeting, I left feeling slightly perplexed as to what pool Sunshine was actually getting and whether it would actually benefit the community.

Despite Peter Marshall's continual attempts to discredit any Liberal voice, he and his colleague Mr Barlow left more questions unanswered then answered.

Regardless of the fact that the ALP representative wasn't aware that the pool was flat-bottomed at 2.0 metres, nor that it was ten lanes and not eight lanes as suggested (comments I raised as per official FINA guidelines)... the question remained... what pool?

Being heavily involved in the swimming community (I am a full-time professional swim coach) I was positive that there were only two pools being erected for the games. I have since made several calls to confirm this, and it is clearly stated in a recent article run by the Australian Newspaper (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20675416-23218,00.html).

Great... two 50m pools... fantastic. But....

On Wednesday 6th September, the ALP guaranteed one of these pools to the Frankston Community - http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/8fc6e140ef55837cca256c8c00183cdc/56e40c5ab9ce2ed9ca2571e200009e3a!OpenDocument

Then on Tuesday 17th October, the ALP guaranteed the second pool to the Geelong community - http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/Media_Releases/October_2006/City_obtains_50_metre_pool_from_FINA_World_Swimming_Championships/

So where exactly is Sunshine's pool coming from? Will it take until AFTER the election for the ALP to come clean that they have promised one extra pool too many.

Not only do these unsubstantiated promises illustrate the ALP's utter disregard for local residents, it is yet another promise that may well disappear after everyone puts a #1 next to the ALP name on November the 25th.

A Liberal vote on Election Day is a vote for a candidate who will fight for the Sunshine Pool to return to its glory days. As a swimming coach and the President of a Local Swimming Club, it dissapoints me to not only see promising talent drift away to decent facilties in the city's east, but to see the Western Suburbs District Championships held out at Werribee, rather than its birthplace Sunshine, because of the lack of suitable facilities in the immediate west.

Melbourne boasts some of Australia's best aquatic facilities. The South-East is flush with top-class pools. So why are we being left behind?

At the end of the day the ALP spent millions of dollars upgrading the state's premier aquatic facility, MSAC, which since the Commonwealth Games has been used for little more than lap swimming and won't even be utilised for the main competition program at the FINA World Championships.

Since the 2006 Commonwealth Games I've attended over 20 swim meets at MSAC, and not one has been held in this new pool. It lies redundant, and another $50 million is forked out for the World Championships, all while the kids out in the west can't even learn how to tread water.

It's Unfair. But then what else should we expect from a Government that takes the west for granted.



Cam Nation
Liberal Candidate for Footscray This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Cam,

I am tired of promises which cannot be backed up can we get a pool position and promise from the Liberals in the same fashion as the Greens have?

It is great to blow hot air here and we all know you like swimming however it is now time to put your money where you mouth is an commit in writing to a position. You have already lost credibility in my books as you still dont have a position but how about changing my mind?

Otherwise you are just confirming my thoughts that major parties dont give a stuff about Sunshine and that a vote for a minor party (ie:Greens) is my chance to protest and make sunshine marginal. I dont want a seat which is marginal to another party full of hot air and broken promises. I am sorry Cam about being so frank but as a long term resident of Sunshine I am tired of 2 party politics ruining my seat.

To me at the moment a Liberal vote would be a vote with no promises, no action on climate change, damming our wonderful Maribyrnong and closure of schools. Could you help dispell these beliefs?

Thats all I have to say I hope I havent bored anyone with my thoughts

I heard it on the ABC the other day, in an interview with someone who seemed to know what they were talking about. He said that three 50 metre inground pools had been promised to Glen Eira, and a couple of other places I don't remember, but that two 25 metre above ground pools had been planned for Sunshine and again I can't remember where else. I was surprised when I heard that. It was on the Jon Faine programme and he (Faine) seemed to know that those two pools were above ground because he said, when those two pools were mentioned, "but they're above ground aren't they?" and it was confirmed by the person being interviewed.

Has Brimbank Council accepted the State government's offer of $25000 to do a feasibility study into replacing the outdoor 50M.

A study that looks at:

1. where best to install the 25M heated outdoor pool at Sunshine Swim & Leisure Centre

2. the impacts, risks, benefits, costs, possibility of saltwater or ozone water treatment options so that many disabled and skin sensitive people in our community can have a swim

3. masterplanning the site to cater for the outdoor 50M's proper replacement (1000m2 water space) with
- a 10 lane x 25M pool and
- other leisure water as promised to the Mothers Group by Henry Barlow at the Public Meeting (the Nth Melb model) and others previously

4. identifying the costs associated with
- the 25M pool installation and
- other leisure water needed to deliver the promised Nth Melb model or suitable equivalent (State govt offer)

5. Identifying proposed cost sharing arrangements between State government and Brimbank Council

6. a timetable for implementation

Has Council Accepted the Offer? wrote:
Has Brimbank Council accepted the State government's offer of $25000 to do a feasibility study into replacing the outdoor 50M.

Well I finally did it. I got off the couch Sunday afternoon and decided that I would start my new summer program for getting fit today by going for a swim. I thought I would do a few laps to start off and would probably only need 30 minutes to achieve this important first step.

Put the bathers on - have they shrunk?? Nope the body has expanded slightly, no worries anyway after a few laps a couple of times a week I will be back on my way to Elle territory.

O.k. admittedly it's 4.30pm by the time I get this brain wave flash but then I think the Sunshine Pool probably won't be too busy at this time of day.

Grab the towel and drive up to the pool. Doesn't look good - no cars. Slip around the corner into service street and see a great big sign that says something like " Under Construction but we're STILL OPEN", yea they're open. Park in front of the double doors that have the grill pulled down and locked - looking very closed.

We'll thats it then it's closed. The timetable sign says Sunshine Pool closes at 4.00 pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

What's with punishing us on weekends and public holidays? Isn't that when we actually have time on our hands to do things like this? Isn't this the perfect time to go to the gym or for a swim and we don't have to be at work?

Not to be beaten, I'm in my bathers for god sake (under trackies) and I have decided I want a swim and do some laps, stuff it I'll drive up to the Highpoint Pool! Anyway it will be interesting to actually swim there and see it after all the controversy.

No problems parking - that's a relief. By now it's 5.15pm and I notice as I walk in the timetable of opening times says the Highpoint Pool is only open until 5.45pm. But I'm still determined, I only want to do 20 minutes of laps and that's all.

The minutes are ticking by as I wait for the attendant to come to the front desk from the back office. I say "hi, do you think I have enough time to do a couple of laps?". The guy shakes his head no and tells me that they will be calling people out of the pool in ten minutes as they need to give them time to change and get dressed and that 5.45 is the time everyone must be out door and the doors get locked. He also tells me it costs $4.00 and I should come back at another time.

O.k. now I'm hot and bothered and really need a dip to cool down.
Back into the car and get on the phone - good old 013, information, do you have the number for the Essendon swimming pool at windy hill, you know the one at the Essendon Football Club. They look and can't find the number, they tell me to call 124 who can do an internet search.

I call a friend of mine who lives in Essendon and has a pool. She's not home, her daughter tells me their pool is really really cold when I ask can I come over to do some laps. Ugh I don't feel like freezing my buns off.

I drive home, have a cool shower, poor myself a BIG WINE and say to myself we may be getting an outdoor pool but how are we ever going to get to use it if they keep such limited hours of operation? How do we lobby for longer opening times.

4.00pm on weekends is a joke.

I'll have another go this week and make sure I know the opening times.

Keilor Library only open 20 hours a week. Sunshine pools closed after 4.00pm weekends.

Do you see the pattern of non-service?

Cam Nation wrote:

Since the 2006 Commonwealth Games I've attended over 20 swim meets at MSAC, and not one has been held in this new pool. It lies redundant, and another $50 million is forked out for the World Championships, all while the kids out in the west can't even learn how to tread water.

It's Unfair. But then what else should we expect from a Government that takes the west for granted.



Cam Nation
Liberal Candidate for Footscray This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Stick it up em Cam. They are wasting taxpayers money at MSAC hand over fist.

All we have from the ALP is a feasibility study so far?

At least the public meeting was video taped. History will judge the ALP and whether it has honoured its commitments to Sunshine Mothers Group on the pool. The ALP family decision on the pool will soon evident for all to see.

Federal elections are next followed by Council elections and everyone knows now how the Council State and federal connections work across the stacked branches.

Is the videotape going up on this site?

Roses are red
violets are blue
slack Candy's been sacked
and good riddance too.

Steve Bracks' goons
are all looking vexed
if slack Candy's gone
then Natalie's next.

rumour from the pool building site is that the concrete at the new pool is not up to standard.

the story goes a few tradies tried to put some steel poles up on the concrete and it just cracked away.

here we go again.

who is going to fix it? who supervised and tested it?

this council couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. they should not be allowed run big jobs.

concretor wrote:
rumour from the pool building site is that the concrete at the new pool is not up to standard.



Why am I not surprised.

Second rate once again.

Has anyone seen this? The Mothers group appear to have had a meeting wth the ALP:
http://sunshinemothers.com/_mgxroot/page_10725.html

Fantastic news!

I think this is great but I won't believe it until it's delivered.

I'm not voting for labor this time anyway. Feel the need to send them a real kick up the arse for stuffing us around for this long.

It shouldn't have taken over 14 years.

It shouldn't have taken numerous groups so much time, energy and money to get the most obvious outcome.

Like I said Great! But it won't be changing my vote.