Today’s Caulfield Glen Eira Leader –
Floated Glen Eira sports and aquatic centre bids sunk
28 Jun 11 @ 07:16am by Jenny Ling //
COMPLAINTS are flooding in over the tendering process of the $41.2 million Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The McKinnon Basketball Association and children’s disability swimming school Swim 4 All are lobbying Glen Eira Council after expressions of interest to use the new centre as a base were rejected.
At the June 6 council meeting, Cr Jim Magee moved that the awarding of the use of basketball courts to the Oakleigh Warriors be investigated, with a view to reversing the decision. “There are 1200 Glen Eira families associated with the MBA who are not going to get an opportunity to play at GESAC,” Cr Magee said.
Swim 4 All spokeswoman Natalie Clarke said her school, which provides lessons to children with special needs, appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after the council rejected an application for more hours at its Murrumbeena school pool in March. An application to use the hydro pool for 10 hours a week at GESAC was also denied. “We provide a fantastic service
to the disabled community and we feel they’re (the council) not supporting that,” Ms Clarke said.
Council spokesman Paul Burke said the application for more hours at Murrumbeena was not successful because it attracted “a number of very concerned objectors”.
The GESAC expression of interest failed because “the programs she was offering are the same programs that will be run by the GESAC staff”, Mr Burke said. The council said Oakleigh Warriors offered more hours of community basketball and a greater range of programs (”Clubs crying foul”, Leader, June 6).
Letters to the Editor
We need residents to stand
DESPITE objections from residents, Glen Eira Council has approved C60, which means we will have less parking, greater traffic congestion and a new high-rise near Caulfield Racecourse.
If residents want to minimise high-rise development in our neighbourhood, avoid traffic congestion, keep our rates payments down and ensure we have more parks and childcare we need to look at who we elect as our councillors.
Elections are only 18 months away. At the next election we, the residents, need to contest all seats, with three candidates per seat, under one umbrella name (eg. Friends of Glen Eira). All we need is five councillors to get elected and then we have the balance of power within council and can make decisions that align with the interests of local residents. I am willing to support any residents who are interested in standing — are you?
For the record, councillors Penhalluriack, Forge and Magee did not support the C60 development.
Glen Eira Debates 
June 28, 2011 at 11:01 AM
All the bad publicity over gesac means one thing only – council will cave in and come up with a compromise solution. In itself, this is probably a good thing. Yet, the implications are enormous. It shows the community exactly who holds the reins, who does the planning and all without councillor input or knowledge. That’s terrible governance. But there are far more serious implications as well.
The budget is up for approval tonight. Gesac is going to be a bottomless pit, especially now when all these tenders and memberships are not going to achieve the totals that Newton and Burke wanted. This then means that the budget figures are again useless and more cover ups will probably be manufactured and current service levels drop even further to make up for this fiscal downturn. What bothers me is whether any councillor actually has the brains to ask how all this will effect services, rates, and borrowings. I’m assuming of course that they will get answers to their questions although I wouldn’t bet my life on it.
June 28, 2011 at 11:07 AM
How can Burke have the gall to open his mouth with this kind of garbage. Objectors my foot. This council has run roughshod over objectors for years. c60 is the perfect example. Get rid of him. He’s an embarrassment.
June 28, 2011 at 4:16 PM
The Council didn’t run roughshod over the objectors. They listened then set about representing the 130,000 people that they represent. People that do not have a vested interest. They may live in Bentleigh or East St Kilda. They expect to get a lot of objesctors from the people that live near the race track. The decision is weighted for this.
June 28, 2011 at 12:05 PM
I warn these Councillors that they have a duty to protect the assets of our city and to manage our finances responsibly. These facilities were built mainly from rates and borrowings . Council is not a Charity. What we have are 2 Organisations ( worthwhile) that want use of our new assets at greatly reduced cost, thereby reducing the assets rate of return. In other words we all have to contribute more.Cough up the mulah or go elsewhere. I pay enough in my rates and don’t want my money supporting those who want to sponge off us.
June 28, 2011 at 12:20 PM
Your arguments are incredible. Yes, gesac is built by ratepayers which means that ratepayers should be given the priority when it comes to use of a facility that we paid for. Council is not a charity as you state, but it certainly has a moral obligation to ensure that its residents are taken care of. Perhaps the 40 million dollar enterprise should never have been built if it can’t at least break even and support local residents. Perhaps we simply can’t afford such a huge investment and that instead of planning for 40 million complex the agenda should have been a 20 million complex. Ultimately I think that the planning has been inadequate and substandard. If it weren’t, then we wouldn’t be having all of these problems now. Newton and his supporters have got a lot to answer for because I’m certain that this white elephant is something that ratepayers will be paying off in spades for decades to come. This is only what we know and doesn’t account for other things that will undoubtedly emerge over time.
June 28, 2011 at 4:20 PM
It will not take decades to pay off. You are confusing it with the Desal plant that Brumby and his mates arranged. That will take decades.
June 28, 2011 at 4:33 PM
How do you figure that when this year just the interest alone is close to $2 million and barely anything is paid off on the principal. They’ve borrowed $25 million so I reckon by the time they’ve paid off the principal and the interest we’ll be looking at over $65 million for this white elephant and it will take well over a decade. start saving your pennies cos rates are gunna go through the roof.
June 28, 2011 at 5:24 PM
On the other hand we could have not built it and tell all the residents to go to pools in ajoining municipalities. Spounge off them. Why not. Glen Eira basketball teams have been using the courts in Boorandurra and Monash for years. The library was built in Carnegie and that cost plenty. They don’t even charge to use it. No one said that was a white elephant.
June 28, 2011 at 5:58 PM
Amnesia is clearly your problem. Carnegie library went millions over budget to start with. It didn’t have to include non used “community centres” so that one storey could have been built and saved ratepayers probably millions. Of course libraries shouldn’t charge but that doesn’t mean that this overblown GESAC should charge like wounded bulls. If they had done their sums properly right from the beginning then this mess wouldn’t have happened. Lousy, lousy, lousy planning and no business acumen whatsoever. Everything this administration touches turns into a bloody disaster.
Just wait for Carnegie pool to be sold off with the argument that’s always used – will cost too much to fix. Of course it will cost when they’ve run it into the ground deliberately.
June 28, 2011 at 3:35 PM
Tough living a life with no name! A fair market value was offered for the use of the courts….more than what is paid now for College Gyms. Council Officers actively discouraged including the ‘All abilities’ program because it wasn’t profitable. The incumbent allegedly will offer more programs but will the residents be able to afford?
June 30, 2011 at 11:21 AM
At the June 6 council meeting, Cr Jim Magee moved that the awarding of the use of basketball courts to the Oakleigh Warriors be investigated, with a view to reversing the decision. “There are 1200 Glen Eira families associated with the MBA who are not going to get an opportunity to play at GESAC,” Cr Magee said.
Interesting, how has Cr Magee formed this opinion, who is informing him? Is this Fact or Fabrication?
Perhaps Cr Magee & other the councilors should should dig a little deeper and find out if the MBA have excluded any Glen Eira families from participating in their competitions???????
People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!
June 30, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Great point Transperant,
as a parent with a child who has played for both the MBA and the Warriors, I was disgusted with the MBA’s actions in 2009/2010 to expel my child from their competitions with no reason, no mediation and no consideration of my child’s feelings or that of his friends.
It was a disgraceful action by an organisation who should not be let anywhere near GESAC in my opinion.
June 30, 2011 at 1:45 PM
David I don’t find it a fair statement to say that the MBA ‘should not be let anywhere near GESAC’. I am a friend of a young boy who participates in the All Abilities program run by the MBA. He is thriving and absolutely loves he coaches and the staff that are there week in and out to support him. But as this program grows with more and more participants a venue like GESAC would be ideal.
When I heard that Oakleigh had been given allocations at GESAC I looked into the programs they will be offering. Only on saturday was some information available, however it was followed by ‘more information will be available in 24 hours’. It was not until late yesterday that more information was put online. And to my dismay, there is no program on offer for children or adults with disabilities!!
Looking further through the Warriors website I came to the sad realisation that even now, whilst running out of Oakleigh, Warriors do not offer any sort of program to those with disabilities. Talk about disgusting!
Another point I would like to make is the website is very difficult to navigate through, I would look to improve this if you are going to manage such a large venue, with all the politics surrounding the allocations the expectations are going to be very high!
June 28, 2011 at 6:18 PM
From the Caulfield Leader Online comments:
Liz Hunnekens writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 05:12pm
I am the parent of two children who have Autism. Without the Swim 4 All program my children would not be able to swim, as they are unable to cope in a main stream group lesson. I am disgusted at the council’s decision, as I have now had to make other arrangements for my children’s swim lessons. Because EVERY child or adult deserves the right to be able to learn to swim for safety reasons. And without the Swim 4 All program my children have nowhere to go.
Natalie Clarke writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 05:03pm
Thank you to the Leader for reporting on the struggles Swim 4 All face in securing pool space to run a disability swimming program not found elsewhere. Paul Burke, council spokesman said GESAC Staff will provide the same programs. The council has been invited to visit the Swim 4 All program to see what is achieved with the special needs swimmers, to view the structure, the expert teaching skills and progression reporting that has been developed with great success over the past 4 years. The council has declined, yet claim they can provide a program that they have never viewed. Swim 4 All wishes to work with mainstream swimming programs not in competition. Swim 4 All provides a service to people with special needs and disabilities. These swimmers initially struggle to learn in group environments with teachers who are not specifically trained in specialist areas. The Swim 4 All staff are trained, understand, care and work hard to get all their students to reach their full potential. GESAC is big enough to hire space to Swim 4 All as well as running their own programs thus providing people with options to facilitate the best possible learning outcome for all.
Heather Schwarz writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 04:25pm
I fully support the above comments, especially resonating with Mark Sills comments. As a parent of 3 children (2 with special needs), our experience with Swim 4 All is second to none with Natalie and her unique team of swimming teachers. The rapport that has been carefully built up over time with our children is priceless. I have taken our middle child to another swim school which was “meant to be terrific”. Although impressive facilities and pleasant staff, they just didn’t exhibit the patience or teaching skill level our child needed. He was more afraid of the water than ever and took considerably longer to slowly gain confidence he lost. Please support a lobby to our Glen Eira Council to support this wonderful facility and the dedicated Team at Swim 4 All who through their patience and skills achieve spectacular results with our children. Or, don’t they matter? Heather.
Suzie Stanford writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 02:25pm
The Swin4All school is an amazing organisation that has specialist teachers who support both children and adults with Special Needs along with group classes for their siblings and these services are NOT infact available through any council swim schools. To push this service out of our area is a disgrace for our Council who are infact meant to be representing all sections of our community which includes families with disabilities. Please lets all rally to support the overturning of this decision by lobbying the Council and making everyone aware of this mis-ruling.
Keith Rhodes writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 02:00pm
I have an autistic son who has benefited tremendously from Swim-4-All’s swimming classes. I think it is appalling that as a community, we’re not supporting this. I haven’t found anyone else that connects with my son, and provides the individual attention that Swim-4-All provides.
Even if the Glen Eira Council could provide the same services for special needs kids (and I don’t believe it could) – this is no reason to limit commercial competition. They should charge a small rental fee to use the new pool, but otherwise they should encourage small businesses which are providing such a fantastic niche service.
Nikki writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 01:36pm
I am a mother of an autistic child. I tried for many years to have my son participate in swimming programs offered at Recreational Facilities. Unfortunately, although available, the staff at these General Public Recreational Facilities did not have the experience to work with special needs children. My son was terrified of the water until we found Swim 4 All. He is 10 years old now and absolutely loves swimming. Without Swim 4 All, my son would not understand the importance of water safety.The GESAC will not be offering the same programs run by their staff as Swim 4 All staff. I would be interested to know how many of the GESAC staff have actually worked with special needs kids!!!
Mark Sills writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 01:10pm
I was disgusted to discover that my daughters swimming lessons were having to be abandoned because of the difficulties swim 4 all has been faced with finding/keeping its place in a decent pool.
‘Special needs’ children are still children. They are still beautiful. And they certainly still have all the same energy, ambition and desires as the rest of the community.
Swim 4 all is the ONLY swimming school I’ve seen that has actually made a difference to my childs swimming skills, the class sizes are almost 1 on 1 and the energy/Skill and enthusiasm offered by its teachers is unmatched in Melbourne. (I would doubt anywhere) – They operate a remarkable service for such LOW fees.
Somebody build them a pool for gods sake. Im sure it will earn you a place in heaven.
Rob Peebles writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 01:01pm
Good to see the paper addressing the important issues. Seriously, how could more hours lead to a “a number of very concerned objectors” – I’d be interested to know on what grounds they object.
McKinnon basketball association is a well run local organisation providing much needed sporting clubs for the Glen Eira area. WHY would the council who represent the people of Glen Eira grant the use of what should be a fantastic resource for Glen Eira people to an Association that aren’t in our area – seriously ! We’ll need to change the name to OSAC for Oakleigh ! Good on you Cr Jim Magee – hopefully its not too late. When are the next council elections anyway ? Rob
Rita Davis writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 12:50pm
Where has it every been stated that GESAC will be running swimming programs for children with special needs? If this is the basis for knocking back the Swim 4 application then I would love to see these details
June 30, 2011 at 12:15 PM
The Association you refer to is indeed located within the City of Glen Eira and has been servicing Glen Eira residents for 15 years, as long as the MBA. So please instead of hysteria, base arguments on facts.
“The Warriors” as they are known will be a terrific administration for the courts at GESAC. They are professional, have a terrfic board and a wonderful coaching staff. Most importantly they are willing and able to welcome ALL Glen Eira residents into their competitions, something that the MBA has shown in the past that it is NOT prepared to do.
June 29, 2011 at 2:59 PM
Some more online comments –
Janice Holt writes:
Posted on 29 Jun 11 at 10:00am
I am really looking forward to using GESAC, but I am saddened by their refusal to consider the application by Swim 4 All. My son, who has an intellectual disability, went to three swim schools before we found out about Swim 4 All. All the other swim schools were confident they could teach him to swim, but after many years and dollars wasted, he still could not swim. The specialised teaching and environment provided by Swim 4 All has seen him progress greatly. He can now do freestyle and backstroke and is much more confident in the water. I would like to hear the details of the GESAC program which is purported to be the same as Swim 4 All. No other swimming program I know of has the specific features of Natalies program, tailored for children with special needs. Ten hours a week use of the hydro pool is such a small request, but would mean so much to children with a disability who want to swim – I hope Council will reconsider.
Sherril Schultz writes:
Posted on 29 Jun 11 at 07:33am
You only need to watch the children, teachers and Natalie at Swim-4-all to see that they have something special there. My two sons teach at Swim-4-all and are proud to be part of a partnership that are enabling special needs children to achieve their potential. It’s more than a part time job for them – they come home and tell wonderful stories of their day at ‘work’ – achievements large and small. I have watched them grow and mature with things they have learnt from their students. I doubt that any program GESAC could offer the same care and commitment and in fact I have been around council pools for 20 years with my 3 children and have never seen anything like the program that is offered by Swim-4-all. It seems that Council is more concerned about the financial implications of what they perceive as competition. Swim-4-all would complement any program they might have in place for special needs swimmers. I urge council to think about the community not about the dollars!
Steven Cooper writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 11:02pm
I find it intriguing that the recent VCAT hearing there was a push for Swim 4 All be located at the new swim centre. The council after rejecting the application, has not offered alternative pool space. to accommodate the growth in the area for special needs swim development. Over the history of the councils involvement towards special needs swim programs. (At this point minimial to non-existant). Where are they going to recruit the specialist trained staff, with the experience and expertise to service this new found interest in special needs. Note the area of cliental are the more severe special needs. Would it be beneficial to all to work with existing successful programs and integrate them into their ongoing program. (These are generally 1 on 1 clients). Interesting that the council has already given an award to Swim 4 All acknowledging their work in this area of special needs, within the community. Strange how they believe that they can do better.
Magdaleen Arangies-Grimbeek writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 10:55pm
My 3 children, 1 with Down’s, has been swimming at Murrumbeena for 18 months, and they love it. Natalie and her team are doing amazing work, every time we are at Murrumbeena I am astonished at how good the instructors are at what they do.
How selfish to deny swimming lessons for disabled people. Number of very concerned objectors, I really don’t get it!! But then I suppose you are all “normal” and can swim.
Kate Wilson writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 07:25pm
I am a dear family friend of the little boy in the picture above. He has learning disabilities, but with the help of Swim-4-All’s lessons, he is now thriving the pool! This form of exercise not only assists in tuning motor skills, but provides a calming, community based environment for the child and the family. To not offer these facilities to ALL members of the community is biased at best, but I would say more like discrimination. Families with disabled familiy members do it tough. Support them. They deserve the best facilities the council and their community can offer them. Swim-4-All has an amazing success rate – let them teach in peace!
Anna writes:
Posted on 28 Jun 11 at 06:20pm
As a Glen Eira rate payer, and someone who’s children have benefited from the Swim4all program, I find it appalling that the new Council-owned swimming centre will not allow access for different groups in our community. Parents travel form all over Melbourne to bring their children to Swim4all as they are unable to find such a service elsewhere. GESAC could benefit greatly from whole families travelling to Glen Eira and spending time and money using the facilities. One family member might attend a Swim4all class while another uses the gym, another has a regular lesson, then they all go to the cafe! Any allocation of the facilities must be inclusive of all in our community.
June 30, 2011 at 2:52 PM
More comments from the online Leader –
Adie Williams writes:
Posted on 30 Jun 11 at 12:02pm
I can not imagine another swim centre being comparable with Swim 4 all. I have a 3 and 4 year old who were absolutely terrified of approaching the water with out a parent and Swim 4 All teaches patiently worked with them for around 6 months to even get them to walk to the water with out tears. Other places sent us away and told us to come back in 12 months after they had matured (by which time they could have drowned in a home pool). Swim 4 All are amazingly patient and kind and work with the needs of each child. The Swim 4 All program shoud be extended out to help service more families, not less. This service is head and shoulders above the other 6 swim schools we have tried. It saddens me that they have had to cut back their services so less children are now learning to swim. Cruel.
Penny writes:
Posted on 29 Jun 11 at 11:27pm
Swim4All is our third swim school but the first to produce results for our son who has Asperger Syndrome. His empathetic teacher has the right mix of bossy and nice and our son is learning to swim. This school also provides small group classes for siblings who have no additional needs. Most of the children who attend Swim4All are not mainstream, and some are quite severely disabled. They, like your precious children members of Glen Eira Council, also deserve to be taught to swim in a convenient location.
Christine Johns writes:
Posted on 29 Jun 11 at 06:42pm
My 15 yr child with Autism Spectrum Disorder had swim lessons in 4 different public swimming pools before we encountered Natalie and her team a number of years ago who diagnosed his special swim needs that others hadn’t. They knew how to teach him the techniques in an environment suited to his special needs and and only then did he progress through the levels so quickly. He now is so confident in the water; he solo sails, loves capsizing the dinghy, swims in the Gippsland Lakes, kayaks, and l don’t have to worry because he can swim well. I also encouraged him to attain his power boat licence which he is so proud of. Natalie even helped rehabilitate my older child after feet surgeries. So many families are so grateful to Swim4All. Her center is outgrowing the Murrumbeena pool and needs the facilities of this new pool desperately. One in 100 people have AS and swimming is an area they can thrive in, we need to plan for a future that accommodates and encourages them with Natalie’s specially trained staff who focus only on these special kids and Adults. All Australians should have opportunity to learn to swim! Thanks Natalie & Emily for teaching my 3 children, they can Swim4Life now.