Around 80-100 local residents and pool lovers met at the Town Hall on Tuesday night, ready for a quick swim on the front steps, and with a clear message for Newcastle City Council: Save Mayfield Swimming Pool: Improve it Don't Remove it! Once again several generations came together to highlight the breadth and depth of community support for this campaign. Regular shows of support were received from passers by, while a vocal chorus of "What do we want? Mayfield Pool; When do we want it? Always!" brought the meeting upstairs to a halt. Another of our swimming team delivered a signed poster to the meeting. Television (NBN) and newspaper crews attended, so look out for some growing media interest. Thanks to all who joined the pool party, and see you at the public meeting on the 16th where we can plan our next one!Tuesday, 28 August 2007
SMP comes to Council
Around 80-100 local residents and pool lovers met at the Town Hall on Tuesday night, ready for a quick swim on the front steps, and with a clear message for Newcastle City Council: Save Mayfield Swimming Pool: Improve it Don't Remove it! Once again several generations came together to highlight the breadth and depth of community support for this campaign. Regular shows of support were received from passers by, while a vocal chorus of "What do we want? Mayfield Pool; When do we want it? Always!" brought the meeting upstairs to a halt. Another of our swimming team delivered a signed poster to the meeting. Television (NBN) and newspaper crews attended, so look out for some growing media interest. Thanks to all who joined the pool party, and see you at the public meeting on the 16th where we can plan our next one!
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5 comments:
WELL DONE to all who supported our fight for SAVE MAYFIELD POOL!
Let's fight until they can hear us!
Fabulous to see so many people out to support the Mayfield Pool last night.
Had I not broken my toe early that morning, I would have been there with bells on...or perhaps flippers!?
To me the quintessential Aussie recreation is swimming and the quintessential Aussie community icon is the local swimming pool! Since I was a kid my summers have been spent splashing about at a community pool - a regular member of the local swimming club, water polo team, and proud owner of trophies and certificates to say I can swim pretty well!
Now I have kids of my own, and they have been having swimming lessons since they were 7months old and LOVE the water. Part of the reason we moved to Mayfield was to have a pool close by and we spent a good few hours there last summer with family and friends.
I think it is ludicrous to even contemplate getting rid of the Mayfield pool - lets fight for our right to be wet when we want, where we want, and with whom we want!!
Let's here it for the Mayfield Pool!!
WWWWWwwwwwwooooooHHHHhhhooooooooo!!!
I'm so glad to see organised support for the pool. Thanks to your letter drop I can now actively support the cause. Scanning the report tabled at the council meeting last night I was surprised to see results of a survey of people using the pool. I am a regular lap swimmer and not once did I see this survey...did I miss something or was it issued on the days I didn't swim? Was this survey only carried out when the kiosk was open? I'd be interested to find out.
The report also states that the pool is a continuing duplication of existing facilities at Balance Health Club. I don't know about that: 25m lap pool versus a 50m pool available to lap swimmers, kids mucking about and elderly people using is for aquatic exercises. The cost of a casual visit to this club doesn't seem to have been taken into account. At more than double the cost it becomes probitive to families that are doing it tough financially.
As for being in the "catchment area" for Lambton pool. Yes Mayfield is within the catchment area as the crow flies but getting there by public transport is a bit of a joke. Add the cost of that transport to the entry fee and again cost becomes probitive.
Hopefully Council will listen to residents. We want Mayfield pool not mobile phone towers.
I'll be bringing my petition to the next meeting.
Thanks to Brian and everyone else spearheading the campaign.
Sue
Local ABC (1233) Radio has the following story on it's website (at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/29/2018196.htm?site=newcastle):
Mayfield gains pool closure deferral
Posted August 29, 2007 09:27:00
Residents fighting to save Mayfield pool have had a win, with Newcastle council in New South Wales' Hunter region agreeing to defer a decision on the closure.
It is part of a plan to cut costs and make way for an aquatic centre at Lambton pool.
Councillors endorsed a mayoral minute, calling for public meetings at all five council pools to discuss the future of council-funded swimming services.
Lord Mayor John Tate says council will consider the matter again in November.
"There is absolutely no decision until we have this full public consultation and that's what should have happened in the first place," he said.
"That's what we've achieved and I think that's a good result. We'll be able to work with the community rather than tell the community what should happen."
Around 50 people protested outside City Hall as part of their push to have the pool retained.
The spokesman for the "Save Mayfield Pool" committee, Brian Gaffney, says while council has not ruled out closing the pool, he has welcomed the increased community consultation.
"We're particularly encouraged by the council's interests, with their specific interest in a lot of community consultation. That's a very important point for us," he said.
"Council looks like they're prepared to come to where the site of the action is and meet people at the pool and find out exactly what the community wants."
I was sorry I could not have been there to let council know that I want the pool to be there in the long term. One of the reason we moved to a small block of land in Mayfield East was because of the good public space - the pool and the park. It would be terrible to lose the pool. I would like to see the whole area upgraded but the pool needs to be a part of that.
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