Ratepayer will wear losses

Congratulations to Mayor Laurie Maher for being honest about the Peninsula Leisure Centre and the unacceptable operating losses it will now incur.

The community should be extremely concerned at what is now a serious matter that Gosford Council will have to address in a fully transparent and fiscally-responsible manner.

As a former councillor, I am very angry when I recall the ridicule directed at me in the Council Chamber and publicly in the media, during my term, when I warned the chairman of the committee, Cr Chris Holstein, that the construction costs would blow out by millions because the project had not been fully costed nor the operating expenses adequately addressed.

It is not good enough to say "what a wonderful facility" and "the Woy Woy community deserves the best facility possible" as a means of justifying the cost.

When considering these types of multi-million dollar projects, fiscal responsibility is paramount and decisions should be made by people with the appropriate level of experience and qualifications.

Council's failure to do so is exactly what sends Councils into unacceptable debt.

Liverpool City Council is testimony to that.

I cannot begin to describe the months of debate I and others in Council endured over the size of this project, the lack of sound-proofing, failure to address compliance issues, tendering before the construction certificate was issued, where the money was going to come from and the demolition of a facility 12 months out before work commenced all to no avail.

Unfortunately for the ratepayer, we are all now going to have to wear the $13 million blow-out and dig deep to pay the estimated $1.3 million operating losses for many years to come.

This is not a legacy that should be left to the ratepayers.

Debra Wales Umina Beach