Results of a public exhibition process for the future development of Bexley pool showed overwhelming support in favour of the proposal.
Rockdale Council put its proposal for a two-storey complex with a 50-metre outdoor pool and a 25-metre indoor pool, a program pool and a leisure pool, gymnasium, amenities, creche and kiosk on public exhibition in December.
The council received 1651 submissions of which 96 per cent were in support and 2 per cent were against. The remaining 2 per cent did not respond.
Peter Hill of Blakehurst said he attended the pool with his wife and two children over the past four years, and there was a need for a modern complex that offered a range of facilities, including grassed areas for outdoor play.
Mr Hill said submissions from families, students, schools and peak swimming bodies showed overwhelming support for the upgrade, which was overdue.
‘‘I am most concerned by the delay in finalising the upgrade to the pool. The process so far has been littered with time slippage across many years,’’ he said.
‘‘The proposal dates back to at least 2008 and here we are in 2012 and it is still on the table. Unless something is done now, it will remain on the table for the rest of 2012 and beyond.’’
Bexley’s St Gabriel’s Primary School principal Steve Darcy said the upgraded centre would help get children moving again.
‘‘Parents struggle to get their children away from the television and electronic games to do any sort of exercise,’’ Mr Darcy said. ‘‘As a school community it will allow us to have our swimming programs and carnivals close to home.’’
Several classes at Athelstane Public School at Arncliffe made submissions, including class 3H, which said more families would visit because of the extra facilities and people would be healthier.
‘‘If the pool is closed the children in the area will be disadvantaged as there are not enough facilities for swimming lessons. This will result in a greater percentage of children not knowing how to swim,’’ the submission said.
But opponents raised concerns about budget blowouts leading to the closure or sale of the facility and the possibility of a better use of the funds across several capital projects.
Some were concerned about expensive entry prices while others said a simpler redevelopment should be proposed without the ‘‘bells and whistles’’ of gyms and steam rooms.
Others raised concerns about the capacity of Preddys Road to handle increased traffic if patronage increased from 130,000 to 541,000, as expected.
