THE city’s political leaders have vowed to not commit to lobbying state and federal governments for funding for the proposed $40m Mount Gambier Indoor Sport and Recreation Centre unless a poll determining ratepayer support is undertaken.
Member for Barker Tony Pasin and Independent MP Troy Bell are calling on Mount Gambier City Council to commission a community poll amid concerns around the level of support for the facility.
Council is seeking $20m in funding from the Federal Government under the Regional Growth Fund, with State Government funding in the order of at least $10m also needed to secure the project.
The council has outlined its contribution to the facility, which is proposed to be built at Olympic Park and feature a 10-lane swimming pool and a six court sports hall, as being “up to $10m”.
Mr Pasin, who was an initial driver of the community campaign to secure federal funding for the project, said a poll was now necessary to “make it clear whether the proposed sporting facility has widespread community support.”
“A great deal of my time as the federal representative is fighting for Federal Government funding that will make communities in Barker stronger and more resilient,” Mr Pasin said.
“I pride myself on being able to deliver strong funding outcomes for the communities I represent and recent announcements regarding the Mount Gambier Airport, the Mount Gambier Racing Club and the Ryder Cheshire second home for Mount Gambier are testament to that ability.
“But I will only fight for project funding that I know enjoys overwhelming community support.
“Without a community poll, which will need to be undertaken very soon, I will not be in a position to deliver the $20m sought from the Regional Growth Fund.
“Without my continued support, the application will not be successful and whilst the community petition was a strong indication of community sentiment, we now need a more formal process to determine the level of community support.
“For a decision of this magnitude, a community poll based on accurate information, including the likely cost to ratepayers, is an important prerequisite.”
The Member for Mount Gambier echoed Mr Pasin’s comments, saying he would not progress funding negotiations until a poll “with all the facts put on the table” was undertaken by council.
Mr Bell stressed while a result which found the centre had overwhelming community support would drive his lobbying efforts, the poll would not necessarily equate to securing the proposed funds from the State Government.
“I want to be very upfront with people and say there is no guarantee a positive result will automatically see funding come from the State Government,” he said.
“The reason for that is there are a lot of things this Liberal Government is addressing that are legacies from the previous government.
“Health services is one of them, road maintenance backlogs – particularly in country areas is another – and telecommunications in regional areas need to be addressed.
“Although if there is a clear direction from the community they want this centre, then I will work as hard as I can.”
In a statement, Mount Gambier Mayor Andrew Lee said “an extensive engagement process” would be undertaken once the design, costing and financial modelling, in addition to an assessment on the operational costs against the long term financial plan, was completed.
“Council wants to make it clear that once we have all the information, including design engagement, financial modelling and a robust analysis of the operational costs and what that means for ratepayers, we will then undertake an extensive engagement process with the community,” the statement said.
“At the moment we do not have all the information to answer important and relevant questions posed by the community and we want to be fully informed before we consult with the community about the proposal.
“It has always been council’s intention to conduct an extensive engagement process to identify the level of support or otherwise within the community, which will involve a survey.
“The survey will be available at various community engagement sessions scheduled to provide an opportunity for ratepayers and community members to ask questions about the proposal when all the information is available in September.”
The statement did not address whether the engagement process would include a community poll.
