The agenda items include the long awaited ‘report’ on GESAC. However, this is not a ‘report’ but only an expanded ‘minutes’ of the October 5th meeting of the Pool Steering Committee. So much for Lipshutz’s promises and the transparency of this council!
The following is made clear:
- GESAC will not open in December
- Council is facing a ‘liquidated damages’ suit of $1m – at this point in time. Residents should therefore prepare themselves for potentially more legal costs in the attempt to recoup these monies
- Even after the builder has finished, there is still a period which includes ‘commissioning’ – ie outfitting. We suggest that this means that the opening will likely be in February at the earliest.
We must also take the following with a huge grain of salt:
“The project is currently under budget, partly due to the levying of liquidated damages (LDs) on the sliding scale since 19 May 2011. Total LDs are likely to exceed $1m by the end of the project. The most likely scenario is that the $41.2m construction contract will be completed for thirty-nine-point-something million”.
Again we invite readers to consider the following:
- What is the TOTAL COST of GESAC? All along we’ve been handed the line that the cost is roughly $41m. Now there is the admission that this is only the CONSTRUCTION costs. Add in, interest, outfitting, staff, higher purchase agreements, running costs per year and we’re undoubtedly looking at a venture that is well and truly above $50m.
- If these LDs were becoming apparent as early as May, then why has the public continually been fed the spin that everything is on time and under budget?
- Several assumptions are made in the above statement: (1) that council will successfully recoup its LD payments; (2) that potential legal costs will be paid by the builder and there won’t be a protracted court battle adding further to overall costs.
Finally, this meagre 3 page document (which is really one page and a half) is short on detail but long on spin. Residents still have no idea when the centre will open; how much it will cost and how much it will be up for in operating costs. And of course, there is no mention of the basketball allocation saga which was ‘promised’ by Lipshutz at last council meeting. All in all, we suggest that this is fast becoming an unmitigated disaster on all fronts – transparency; accountability, and prudent oversight.
Glen Eira Debates 
November 18, 2011 at 1:58 PM
The builder should be forced to work 7 days a week so the pool can be used this summer. It is obvious that there will be no swimming in the outdoor pool
during the school holidays. The incompetence is unbelievable. How about puting a dollar figure on the disappointment of all the people that thought they would have a place to cool off on a hot day in the coming months. It is now pretty obvious that some people would have known that the scheduled completion date would not be met yet they thought it best to keep that to themselves. Disgracegul behaviour.
November 20, 2011 at 11:14 AM
One way that may have had the pool open on time was to have the pool completion tied to the CEO’s contract. Surely they must have some measurement of the CEO’s performance such as KPI’s. They should have had one that the pool would open on time on budget at a measure of the CEO;s performance. Not complicated stuff.
November 18, 2011 at 2:07 PM
my bet on the opening time will be june 2012
November 18, 2011 at 3:55 PM
We’re not talking chicken feed here. If this isn’t open over summer then you can add hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The whole project has been kept under wraps til now. No way will I ever believe that they didn’t know this was happening. They’ve buried the truth whenever they can. Silly mug residents who handed over their hard earned cash for memberships should now be clamouring for refunds plus the interest on their lousy investment.
November 18, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Gesac has been top secret for years. The figures are rubbery and costs will remain hidden. All that is known is that residents are now facing a “liquidity” crisis. Mind you, there was never any mention of this either over the years. That this should suddenly become an issue only adds to the incompetence of Newton and his cohorts. This council has led its residents into hock for the next 15 years. Just wait until the next rate increase is announced or services are cut back to the bare bones and charges go through the roof. Maybe then people will wake up when their hip pocket nerve is hit hard.
November 18, 2011 at 9:54 PM
I think the design of the the pool centre in old fashion.
I suspect it will one of the last public pools built on this old fashion straight sided rectangle type in suburbia.
After all we already had two of that type.
Some of the more progressive designs for public pools are very different, with flowing designs, irregular in shape, with beach like areas (yes with sand) and natural shade areas to the waters edge.
They resemb;e an oasis type feeling set in a blended relaxing and formed landscape. Shallow ankle deep water to deep areas as well.
Some even reticulate the water down shaded rock strewn stream beds, that kiddies can enjoys, whilst parents can sit in shade, relax and enjoy the scene.
It may be al-right to have you standard competition pool for the sporting folk, but most users will not in this category, and therefore the design will be ultimately disappointing, boring and largely inappropriate.
Leisure bathers will get by default a standard 25m and 50m pool designed for competition, and not leisure or time-out or just plain relaxing.
In much the same way most residents have to make use of football areas for there local leisure, sure you can use them as such, but no matter how it used its still a fairly boring flat expanse of grass. Not designed for any other purpose than football or cricket.
If the pool had be designed with a recreational bent, and not a sporting bent you would have seen a very different design, with a different look, and possibly built for a lesser price I suspect.
Like almost everything recreational in Glen Eira it is built with a primary objective of sport, and all other users [also ratepayers] just have to put up that scenario and the accompanying design.
GESAC was a wasted opportunity its just an old fashion idea in a new shed, it could have been much more of an contemporary design, built for this century and not the last.
November 18, 2011 at 10:43 PM
The agenda items for next week’s council meeting contain an interesting new version of the preamble to councillors’ requests for reports. Now we get the rather pointed statement(s): “To respond to Council resolution 2 November 2011 Item 11.1 Request for Reports” and “To respond to the Council resolution of 11 October 2011 9.4 (e)”.
The games never cease in this council it seems!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 18, 2011 at 10:58 PM
If I was in charge of a 40 to 50 million dollar project that’s gone awry, then I’d sure as hell have more than one meeting a month and especially now when there are real problems and xmas is fast approaching. I’d insist on weekly updates not this nonsense of once a month. Maybe that’s why gesac is in this state to begin with. People have taken their eye off the ball and now it’s all too late.
November 18, 2011 at 11:39 PM
Not only that Colin, but when Frank asked in the Ordinary Council Meeting in September to be able to attend the next Pools Steering Committee Meeting the Chairman of the said steering committee (Lipshutz) could not advise the date of the next steering meeting. Given the proximity to opening dates and the fact that same said Chairman had just advised that GESAC would be opening in time for the schools holidays ……what can one say other than MEGA STUFF UP,
Residents should be questioning matters of oversight, the effectiveness of the Chairman, his reports to council and Council and the Admins (where was the Capital Works Manager!!!!) analytical ability. Residents, with very limited knowlegde (çause they are on drip feed), have been questioning this for months. The response of those in the know is more drip feed until finally having to admit there are serious problems then more drip feed.
November 19, 2011 at 8:36 AM
Couldn’t agree more. Any commercial project of this size would call for the senior people in the business to be updated weekly. Senior people equals councillors not council staff. They would have known that they were behind schedule 6 months ago. They should put in extra resource and catch up. Reminds me of the Indians in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games. Building firms that bid for civic projects have the liquidated damages built into the price. They would have worked out that to end up with $36 million was OK. They have lawyers that are expert at negotiating damages. These things never go to Court. The lawyers are paid by both sides. Either way it is our rates paying. Wouldn’t surprise me if the builder drew up the contract. It will be very interesting to see the final figures and everyone can see how the Council is being done over by experienced builders that do this all the time. They should have employed an experience project manager to act as the Councils agent and not gone near the place. When I saw pictures of Magee walking around the site wearing a hard hat I knew it was going to end in tears. I wonder what line the Councillors will be pushing on hot days when there is no pool. Something like, “why not try Carnegie Pool”. yer right.
November 19, 2011 at 10:50 AM
The page and a half report on what is happening is an insult to residents. It’s taken 18 months at least for even this nonsense to be announced and we still don’t know what’s going on. The whole program has been badly planned, supervised and executed. We can look forward to multi million dollar operating costs which means multi million dollar losses covered up.
November 19, 2011 at 11:06 AM
The minutes include the names of three employees who were hired, presumably as “experts” to manage the project – Mark Judge, Mark Collins and Martin Snell. I would assume that each of these individuals are at least on $150,000 per annum. It’s very doubtful whether they have earned their keep judging by this announcement. I’m also not so sure about things being settled out of court given this council’s penchant for litigation. I would also think that a huge national company like Hansen and Yuncken would certainly not be intimidated by the likes of a local council. They’ve had major national and state government projects. Glen Eira holds no fears for them. If need be they will fight all the way to the High Court if the sums are in the millions. All this means is more costs to be borne by long suffering residents whilst those responsible will receive nothing but plaudits when the complex is finally opened.