Dear fellow resident,
Following the industry shut down, construction at GESAC resumed on 16 January 2012. Council has taken every possible step to ensure that the construction is completed in a timely manner but, regrettably, construction is still under way in sections of the site, particularly the pool hall which lies in the centre of GESAC. As GESAC continues to be a construction site with significant plant and equipment in operation, it is not practicable to have public use and construction going on in the one facility. Council is disappointed at the construction delay. |
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Glen Eira Debates 
February 18, 2012 at 12:24 PM
After months and months of silence we might be getting a little closer to the truth with this announcement.
The summer has come and gone which means that all the anticipated revenue for the summer months has also evaporated. The costs however would still be incoming.
I would also think that there are countless problems here for the lessees of many of the facilities such as cafe owners and gym people, not to mention staff. If I’ve been told that I can start my cafe business in January and I’m missing out on 3 months of custom I’d start thinking about suing or maybe seeking “liquidated damages”. This isn’t merely an issue about a builder being behind schedule. It tells an entire story of bungled planning, misinformation, and cover ups. The black hole of gesac financing is turning into a bottomless pit.
February 18, 2012 at 1:37 PM
I feel incredibly sorry for all those people who cancelled memberships at other places in order to take out memberships here. They’ve literally been dudded and kept hanging on without any information. Even with this public announcement there still isn’t any definite opening date a month after we were promised that council would have firm dates after workers returned from holidays. The general management has been appalling and the secrecy surrounding everything is equally appalling. This isn’t a council that believes in openness and transparency. If they had simply come right out honestly then maybe people would forgive them. This way they’ve just managed to rile people even more.
February 18, 2012 at 1:54 PM
Read between the line more Lipshutz propagation, GESAC won’t be fully functional until at least June at the earliest. He will just contemptibly string you along till them.
February 18, 2012 at 2:41 PM
Ya know, when you combine this so called announcement with the posting on GESAC on the Glen Eira Residents website, ya have to start wondering if GESAC is just too big a project for this Council to build or run.
Questions of project management competence abound and the way information has been presented (or should I say not presented) to residents and members beggars belief.
What’s the bet that this pathetic announcement is a precursor to the one that will appear in late March/early April announcing a June/July start.
If Lipshutz or Crs or Adminstrators think this is the appropriate way to treat us then I’d suggest they check the definitions of transparency, openness and accountablity because they are way out of step with these definitions.
February 18, 2012 at 3:12 PM
PS: This announcement was NOT ON COUNCIL’S HOME PAGE. It was ‘buried’ on the GESAC Facebook page!
Many people are using the facebook page forum to vent their frustration. Some, like myself, have been unable to make comment for months. At least I still ‘like’ them. C’mon Mr Collins…..change your privacy settings.
February 18, 2012 at 4:09 PM
Brendan, are you telling us that there is a form of censorship taking place on the Facebook page? Surely they wouldn’t do this especially when they can get enough stooges to put up “positive” comments?
February 20, 2012 at 10:40 AM
The last comment I was able to leave was in May last year.
“Have stadium times been allocated yet?”
27 May 2011 at 17:52 ·
Glen Eira Sports & Aquatic Centre “Yes, allocations have been finalised and will be announced soon”
30 May 2011 at 15:10
When I spoke with GESAC manager in June and informed of the allocations, I voiced my disappontment. Not long after that I was unable to post any further comments or questions on the GESAC facebook page.
Hope I am still eligible for the Gym membership prize!
February 18, 2012 at 4:28 PM
We thought that readers might find the following Facebook comment by GESAC posted a couple of days ago (before the March announcement) of interest. It exemplifies double speak and weasel words that signify absolutely nothing! -“Hi guys, We will have an announcement on an opening update very soon once we have coordinated with all our other communication channels. Thanks for being patient”.
“Communication channels” are definitely clogged in Glen Eira. Time for a full flush out?
February 19, 2012 at 9:41 AM
I know many people that have signed up and paid to use the gym that do not live in Glen Eira. They are all wondering when they get to use what they have paid for. The idiots in the town hall have not written to them to keep them up to date. This is disgraceful. Most of them are not into facebook. The commercial insensivity that the Council are currently demonstrating tells me that the venture will fail as it will be run by people that do not have any commercial nouse. Bit of a throw back to the old Soviet system. Doomed to fail. Customers don’t get smart arsed excuses, they just want what they have paid for.
February 19, 2012 at 7:01 PM
You write about people getting what they paid for. That should be expanded to include all ratepayers. Residents have never, ever, got an accurate report of how much all this is costing. We know nothing about how much is being spent on wages, outfittings, insurance, running costs. I could go on and on about this. What has been provided is all smoke and mirrors and hides everything. Three figures need to be up fonrt: the income, the expenditure (including interest repayments) and then the bottom line. That would tell us the true story and what a mess this project is in and will continue to be in for the next 20 years.
February 19, 2012 at 11:23 AM
The above announcement was also posted on the GESAC website on Friday 17 Feb. It’s a well known ploy to make adverse announcements on Friday when business and the media scale back and people are focussed on the weekend – the theory goes that no one will take much notice and by the time things scale back up something else will have happened to draw the focus away from the adverse news.
Council obviously used this ploy, not only for the above reason but also, I strongly suspect, from embarassment. Embarassment because the best they could come up with is this pathetic announcement that lacks substance and is far from informative – not even an expected opening date.
To say that Council is “disappointed” is an insult to the p*ssed off residents and members.
Has Council forgotten that this is an election year?
April 28, 2012 at 7:58 AM
It’s nearly may and i have cancelled my membership at another gym. I in early April that GESAC would be open in two weeks by the guy who sold me the membership. I think keeping members up to date with what’s going on is critical. If they said Julie we are not open until June ! at least i would know. Mean while swimming at Harry’s in Malvern and now need to find another gym on a temporary basis.