Last week we awoke to the news that the NSW Government was considering plunging $200 million into a stadium, aquatic centre and childcare centre at Jubilee Oval in Carlton. It would be a sporting home base for Sydney's southern teams.
I welcomed the news. No MP would say no to a $200 million investment in their community and I'm no different - the jobs and opportunity would be too good to pass up and crucially the community would get a new pool paid for by the NSW taxpayer.
There's only one problem. The money hasn't appeared in the NSW Budget. Treasurer Perrottet has allocated just $3 million over four years to planning works which is political speak for "it will be built in time to celebrate a man landing on Mars".
I'm fearful that Georges River Council will now tell the community that a pool in Carlton is imminent and therefore justify their persistent calls to close down the much loved and heavily used Carss Park Pool.
In other words, there's no money to build a pool at Jubilee and at a time when the Government has racked up $100 billion of debt - the highest in the history of the State - they're unlikely to find the money any time soon.
This brings us back to the only sensible solution for our community. To build Carss Park Pool - the Council must secure the site and begin plans to construct the pool the community needs and wants.
When council mergers created Georges River Council, the NSW Government promised lower rates and increased services. It was a big promise to make but, given the unpopular nature of the merger, an important one for the community.
I urge Georges River Councillor's, cap the contamination at the site and crack on with the construction of the pool. It is what you have been elected to do.