The Beagle Editor,
It's good to hear that two council directors will be talking with the Batemans Bay Indoor Aquatic Club Committee (BBIACC) in early May about the Mackay Park aquatic and arts project and how the committee might help its progress. This committee, commendably, has for decades advocated and raised funds for indoor pool facilities to enhance the shire’s therapeutic and leisure aquatic facilities and it must be pleasing for them to see their hopes so close to conclusion even if there is some anxiety that they might be without good facilities for another frustrating period if they don't go along with what's on offer. The opportunities the whole development offers have the potential to favourably affect many users and user groups for decades to come and, while the BBIACC's focus naturally is on "their" part of the complex, it is not the whole shebang and needs to be kept in perspective. At the same time, the committee certainly should not be expected to be as passionate about the "serious" competitive swimmers' concerns over the threatened loss of the Olympic length pool, nor the absence of facilities for the swimming club and its equipment nor, at the other end, the performing arts groups' needs for a good sized space to attract top-line. The concept plan already developed forms a good basis to start with and needs relatively few but significant "tweaks" to satisfy the needs expressed by user groups in addition to those of the BBIACC. Let us hope the meeting keeps the needs of this group and all other users in proper perspective and the necessary adjustments to the plans are incorporated for the good of the whole shire.
What message would the mayor give these directors to convey to the BBIACC at their meeting?
Jeff de Jager
Coila
