From Glen Eira Leader
Frustration pooling in Glen Eira
3 Jan 12 @ 11:10am by Natalie White
Mayor Jamie Hyams said the delays were “very disappointing”, but the council was pushing to have the centre finished “as soon as possible”. “It will be worth the wait,” Cr Hyams said.
It was hoped the $41.2 million Bentleigh East centre would open in December, in time for the warm weather. Frustrated residents have posted comments on the centre’s Facebook page, angry they won’t get to use it for much of summer. Michelle Meier said her children’s swimming lessons booked for February had been cancelled.
“I’m also frustrated as I have four foundation memberships and no access to the pool and no known time frame,” Ms Meier said. Trina Eldering Gillies said the council “should have given a more realistic time from the start”.
The dry areas – including indoor courts, gym, creche and cafe – are almost complete, but work on the pool hall has been delayed.
In a statement on the official GESAC website, the pool’s steering committee chair, Cr Michael Lipshutz, said the council had used every means at its disposal to have the builder comply with building time lines. “Council has been levying liquidated damages as a consequence of each milestone missed and they are now approximately $1 million,” Cr Lipshutz said.
More than 3000 people have bought memberships so far.”
AND HERE’S WHAT RESIDENTS SAID ON FACEBOOK –
“I knew it as they have cancelled my kids school swimming which was to be early feb!!! I’m also frustrated as I have 4 foundation memberships and no access to the pool and no known time frame as to when my kids lessons will start!! Now it’s too late to change and go elsewhere, NOT happy at being promised something and not having it delivered!!! I’m sure I’m not the only one”.
“same with gym membership”
“Yup casual rates are sooo expensive!!!!!”
“Will foundation members be compensated as we were told it would be open now… Look at the weather..!!!”
“Not good enough!! PS. Go have a look at Oakleigh Aquatic Centre 4 Outdoor Pool areas… Such a winner!!”
“Classic Glen Eira”.
“Thanks Stephen, I will! But NOT happy that I was promised access to pools for the entire summer and will now have to pay to go elsewhere, more out of pocket costs!!! Let’s see if there’s any compensation”
“On no 😦 you should have given a more realistic time from the start”.
“Under promise and over deliver!!!! Tell us November then def opening in december now could be end of summer……march!!!!! instead if you’d said march and opened jan people would not be soooo annoyed/frustrated!!!!”
“So all those millions you are charging the builder will be shared among the foundation members as a token of you apologies right????”
“Are swimming lessons going ahead as planned for February? If not or if your in doubt – let the public know. We need to make other arragements for the kids. With 6 weeks to go it will be difficult to do”.
“Seriously….. Now im without a gym for a second month, well your at it why not make it three?”
Glen Eira Sports & Aquatic Centre Hi Marissa, at this stage it is too early to say, we will be in touch with all of our Swim School members to arrange introductory classes as soon as we have more information from the builders.
“Tried to get in to 3 other swim schools, FULL!!!!! Surprise surprise!!!!!!”
“SHAME ON YOU!”
“To all those who are commenting and taking a cheap shot at GESAC, take a step back and try show some understanding. It is a $40+ million project. It is an enormous complex and understandably the builders didn’t finish it in the time HOPED. The builders are on their industry break now. What do you want GESAC to do about it? You think they are delaying it on purpose? Just try and be patient because once it opens in February or March, I know everyone will be amazed by what it has to offer”.
“I agree John”
“I totally understand that thus us not the fault of GESAC as a company but surely they could extend a little goodwill for those of us who gave been without a gym now for ongoing months”.
“At least show us some more photos!!”
The fact that it is going to be 40C tomorrow and you are still not open, with your waterslides there to tease us, is really starting to piss me off! – OPEN ALREADY!”
“How’s construction looking?”
Glen Eira Sports & Aquatic Centre Hi Tim, We will post some new pictures as soon as possible as we have to work around the builders.
PS – Some more comments have gone up –
“In “winter” season all building industry taking holiday. Like all of us. Unfortunately GESAC forgotten is Christmas time and people taking break. Planning dep –. Were they on “Holiday” at promising time?”
“And maybe you could offer some complimentry passes to all signed up members at Caulfield Swim Centre? Also possibly offer some swim school lessons at Caulfield Swim Centre if it doesnt get started in the new centre?”
Glen Eira Debates 
January 3, 2012 at 8:46 PM
Another high quality piece of “cut and paste” journalism from the leader…
January 3, 2012 at 9:45 PM
It is easy to have a red hot go at Council over this matter but to be fair this is just as dissapointing to Council as everybody else. The builder has let us all down however there may be reasons out of the builders control. I never wanted GESAC to be built in E Bentleigh but as a Ratepayer I want it to succeed. The last thing we want to do is harm the new faciliy.
January 3, 2012 at 10:00 PM
I am not so sure about that. The longer GESAC fails, the greater chance Carnegie pool has of succeeding. Stupid place to put GESAC anyway with no public transport and limited Parking and near Waves. What was Council thinking???
January 3, 2012 at 10:00 PM
The issue of compensation that many of the Facebook entries note is a valid one. My concern is whether this will mean that the budget and scheduled operating costs will blow out even further. If this facility isn’t opened until March then that will be a major dent in anticipated revenue and lost good will by the community. Council should be upfront and disclose fully all its contingency plans and what it intends to do with all those people who have handed over their membership funds. Exactly how will they be compensated and at what cost? There’s also the question of how the businesses will be compensated for several months of lost custom. None of this augurs well for a centre that promised so much and has delivered so little – especially as someone noted a little while back that Kingston and Waves are advertising with their wonderful slogan of “Open All Summer”.
January 3, 2012 at 10:08 PM
It is high time that GESAC stopped being called a $41 million dollar project! Even with liquidated damages the figure refers ONLY to the building and not to all the other expenses incurred by ratepayers – ie. staff; outfitting cafes, gyms, heating/cooling costs, etc. Add on interest repayments and the true figure could be well above $50 million and rising. Residents should be asking: what is the real cost? What is the revenue? What is the total expenditure and what are the annual running costs? Only then will we know whether GESAC is a gigantic white elephant that will be a millstone around ratepayers’ necks for the next 15 years, or a successful business venture.
January 3, 2012 at 10:10 PM
Just imagine for a moment if you can that we had a Council with vision. That Council had thought about the best place to put GESAC. Wait, there is public land near Monash Uni that is only being used by the MRC as a Tabaret car park and the MRC has stated it no longer needs this land for parking. And Monash agrees to pay half as it will greatly benefit the University. And the GESAC is close to public transport and has no competition for miles and miles and makes the Council and Ratepayers a motza. Oh and then I wake up back in the current Glen Eira where Councillors are a pathetic weak lot with no vision and ruled by an administration looking after themselves and no consideration to residents. F$@k I hate Glen Eira Council.
January 3, 2012 at 10:55 PM
Glen Eira’s an echo chamber. Hyams repeats Lipshutz. Lipshutz repeats Newton and Burke. Great way to run the place and what original thinkers we’ve got.
January 4, 2012 at 1:06 AM
The worst issue is that the council advertised this so called facility as open for business only a few weeks ago. WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT WAS STATED THAT gsac WAS TO BE CLOSED ON THE DAYS OF GAZETTED PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
I actually heardr one of the councillors who knows about buildings offer his expertise in about June regarding the GSAC completion and this fell on deaf ears!!!!! Cr Lipshutz was so interested in the whole process he was unable to remember next meeting regarding GSAC in October!!!!!
MODERATORS: The advertisement referred to the membership “office” as being closed on these public holidays.
January 4, 2012 at 8:51 AM
At the October Council Meeting, Lipshutz proudly proclaimed GESAC would open on time.
At the November Council Meeting, Lipshutz mumbled about damages and a full report would be issued at the next Council Meeting
At the December Council Meeting, a nonsensical and headings only report was issued and it was announced that GESAC would not be opening.
This is a $50m+ project, Council should have been all over this project from day one (private industry would have been).
Blaming the builder is easy (particularly, as they are off on holidays). However, it does not answer the questions of why didn’t Council know of delays earlier and why didn’t they announce them earlier. In a project of this magnitude, some delay can reasonably be expected and it is not unheard to open a facility in parts – all we have is extremely late notification of delays, total facility shut down and no info on when it will be finished/open.
No wonder comments of “ït’ll be worth the wait” aren’t cutting it
January 10, 2012 at 12:45 AM
It would seem that Cr Lipshutz would have need to go interstate for his holiday when some of us spent large sums to have a swim in GESAC on our summer hols rather than book a holiday interstate with him!!!