Rodney Stevens
The cost-of-living impacting public works was considered by Clarence Valley Councillors at the July meeting with council staff advising they reject tenders for the Regional Aquatic Centre as they are ‘higher than anticipated’.
Before a report to the Clarence Valley Council (CVC) September 2022 meeting recommended the pool close and not reopen as 63-year-old infrastructure could cause a ‘catastrophic failure’ as it had reached the end of its useful life, 1814 Grafton residents had signed a petition to Save Grafton Olympic Pool.
Council began efforts in earnest to seek funding for a Regional Aquatic Centre from State and Federal Governments with a resolution at the September 2022 CVC meeting proceeding to a two-stage selective tender for the Stage One and Two upgrades of the facility.
At the November 2022 CVC meeting, councillors voted 7-2 to apply to the Department of Regional NSW to have the $11,107,882 in Bushfire Local Economic Recovery BLER funds originally allocated to Treelands Drive Community Precinct, diverted to the pool project.
During the 2022 summer, CVC stepped in, spending more than $70,000 in creating the Summer Splash Program, a raft of activities including Art Classes, Jumping Castles and the existing Water Slide, to fill the void of the 50-metre pool closure.
When it was revealed at the March 2023 council meeting that the $11.1 million BLER grant for the Treelands Drive Community Precinct couldn’t be transferred to the Regional Aquatic Centre project, the community thought it was getting two indoor pools and splash pad, before the 50 metre Olympic Pool they wanted.
The March 2023 CVC meeting saw a 6-3 vote by council to remove the dive pool from the facility scope, allocate $2,051,366 from the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program to the Aquatic Centre, and endorse the confidential funding strategy for the Regional Aquatic Centre.
After a call for tenders, Council received two conforming tenders for the Regional Aquatic Centre from Bennett Construction and Hines Construction.
Now, after evaluating the tenders, the Tender Evaluation Committee and council’s Director of Works and Civil recommend Stage One and Two are delivered together, something the community had been calling for.
This will see the demolition of the existing 50 metre pool, dive pool and facilities, construction of the indoor facilities, the splash pad, the electrical substation, the refurbishment of existing amenities and the construction of the new 50 metre pool and grandstand all completed at the same time.
At the July 25 CVC meeting councillors voted on the officer’s recommendation that Council as Crown Land Manager of Grafton Westward and General Douglas MacArthur Park Reserve:
- Decline to accept the tender offers for the Request for Tender 22/41 Regional Aquatic Facility (Grafton Olympic Pool) as the tenders received were higher than anticipated.
- Not invite fresh tenders, as it is considered that inviting fresh tenders would not attract additional suitable vendors over and above those already received for this tender.
- Delegate to the General Manager or her representative to enter into negotiations with one or more of the tenderers with a view to entering into a contract on terms that are appropriate in relation to the subject matter of the tender.
- Consider the outcome of the negotiations for Request for Tender 22/41 at an extraordinary Council meeting.
Due to print deadlines and the scheduling of CVC meetings, the outcome of the councillor’s vote will be reported in the August 2 edition of the CV Independent.