After a barrage of questions on the GESAC FACEBOOK page from residents asking for an opening date for this mega complex there has finally appeared some response from Council after nearly a month of total silence.
The straw which may have finally broken the camel’s back was this comment: “Just got a email sayhing sport stadium season starts on may 14th Does that mean the whole centre is open then? Some communication would be helpful to those juggling memberships etc until you open.”
The answer? –“Planning for opening is well under way with GESAC staff almost complete on pre-opening activities. However, we are still waiting on the builder to provide the official date of handover so that an official opening can be communicated.”
Again we have to lament the lack of proper communication with residents by this Council. As of 5.15pm Monday the 23 April there is no word on council’s GESAC site, nor its website as to what is happening. We also deplore the fact that ostensibly it is only members have been informed via email of a ‘potential’ opening date instead of every single ratepayer in Glen Eira who is funding this centre.
Further criticism should be levelled at the content of this news and its ambiguity, if not downright contradiction. Residents have been told that there will NOT BE A STAGED OPENING because of contractual and safety issues. Now it looks like the story might have changed! But, we are still left in the dark as to whether:
1. Has ‘practical completion’ been done?
2. What is the definite date of opening for the entire centre?
3. If there is a partial opening, then why were residents informed to the contrary just weeks ago?
4. Why is Council still waiting on the ‘builder’? Surely at this late stage there should not be any uncertainty?
The entire GESAC project has been characterised by secrecy, the appalling lack of timely information, and the failure to be fully transparent and accountable to residents.
Glen Eira Debates 
April 23, 2012 at 6:48 PM
Everyone’s gone to the Paul Burke academy of bullshit. A new phrase has been born – “pre-opening activities”. Translated that means forget what we saids before but cos we’re nearly 6 months late on this thing we’ll have to open some parts and because the basketball season is due to start soon anyway. Moral of all this? Never but never believe a damn thing you’ve been told by us cos it just ain’t true.
April 23, 2012 at 9:47 PM
So another delay and this time it’s announced as a one liner in facebook. We can now look forward to another round of Council newest game – “Blame the Builder”
When is this Council going to realise that residents are getting sick and tired of being told how great this Council is when it is failing to deliver and failing to communicate.
April 23, 2012 at 10:42 PM
From start to finish gesac has been shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Each year the cost has crept up and up and residents still don’t know what impact this is likely to have on rates. We’ve also had to endure the complete bungle over the Warriors basketball allocations; the hard sell in trying to ensure that potential members speak to a salesman first before they’re even told what costs they are up for; the continual delays where the builder is blamed and of course the lack of appropriate oversight by the Pools Steering Committee. They haven’t published anything for months and what has been published doesn’t deserve to be labelled as minutes.
Throughout this entire saga residents have been treated with nothing short of contempt. To my mind this is much more than a failure to communicate. It is perfectly in accord with an administration and councillors who care nothing about their community and who pledge themselves to the worst type of governance possible – the failure to be transparent and accountable. I also don’t think this is the end of the story. As others have said, we still face the gigantic battle of the courts when the attempt to extract liquidated damages is sure to be contested strongly by Hansen and Yuncken. They are not likely to walk away without a fight and to accept a million or more in damages payouts. That’s not their style.
April 23, 2012 at 10:43 PM
Another dissatisfied customer says….Most builders at this time of construction would be able to give you a hand-over date, so considering you have sports sessions commencing on 14th I would definitely say you know when you are opening. SHARE IT WITH THE RATEPAYERS and stop this secret council business, !!
WE ARE OVER IT !!!!!
April 23, 2012 at 11:21 PM
Where is the moderator.Seems Smart Aleck can get away with anything. Hypocracy.
April 24, 2012 at 12:12 AM
I note that the above post relates to the sports stadium opening on 14th May but nothing is mentioned about the aquatics area. Why not?
The aquatics area is absolutely integral to the GESAC facility being “fit for its intended purpose” and the financial success of the whole facility. Yet the inclusion of the words “sports stadium” means the aquatics area is excluded. On it’s 10th April Council Meeting, in response to a public question, Council stated that the majority of the work outstanding was in the aquatic area.
Now we get an delay extension to the “sports stadium” and no mention of the aqatics area.
Has Council and the builder compromised of the contractual definitions of “practical completion” (a.k.a handover). It certainly looks like it has.
April 24, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Feldman where are you?
April 24, 2012 at 2:10 PM
Readers might be interested in this student journalist’s blog on “social media failure” by Council and its GESAC FACEBOOK page. It includes comments that residents have posted.
See: http://ejvdl93.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/construction-delays-for-gesac-result-in-social-media-fail/
April 24, 2012 at 4:17 PM
Burke spinning yet again (and caught)
April 24, 2012 at 6:39 PM
This kid is going to go places. Only hope it’s not the Leader!
April 24, 2012 at 3:47 PM
Reason for not having an opening date is the CEO’s absolute fear of being wrong. He would start to twitch uncontrollably if he gave out a date and for some reason it did not happen. Having Council staff employed is going to make the place run at huge loss. Public servants running a commercial operation. Going to be interesting to look at the books after 12 months of trading.
April 24, 2012 at 11:10 PM
Well then he is already twitching uncontrollably – the very first indicator that GESAC would open in April has his name signed to it.
April 25, 2012 at 11:05 AM
No word from basketball as to successful start to season, advertised as last Saturday (21st). Council does no-one any favours by their non communication. Is it written into policy or just sheer arrogance of the officers?
April 25, 2012 at 1:08 PM
Spare a thought for the many staff who successfully applied for positions there and ceased their other jobs to be ready for the opening 6 months ago. One of them is my neighbor. She is about to have every service cut off and be evicted as she can’t afford to live. She is a single Mum to a teenage boy. The council is ruining people’s lives and just don’t seem to care.
April 25, 2012 at 5:45 PM
Yes it must be very disappointinf for anyone who has made themselves availlable to work in that unsightly Newton Temple. How could anyone connected with the heirachy of councill, the staffers at executive level” possible imagone for a moment of the lady’s plight. She has probably llive on money equilavelent to their car allowance. Shame shame
April 28, 2012 at 9:51 AM
GESAC – Update
Council expects to be issued with a Certificate of Occupancy, covering the whole facility, at the start of the week of 30 April. This will be the first time that Council staff will have unrestricted access to GESAC as a whole.
GESAC staff will then complete the commissioning of the Centre to ensure that the plant is working properly, all safety requirements are in place and all of the health and recreational facilities are fully functional.
Details of the opening arrangements will be announced as soon as possible.
Jim Magee
April 28, 2012 at 11:09 AM
heard it all before Jimbo … will believe it when it happens,