Cold water for pool

Jane Emerick
Catholic eduction bureaucrats have poured cold water on plans for a pool at Drysdale.
Developers have offered to pay for a pool at St Ignatius College but say a lack of financial commitment from the Catholic Education Office has stalled the project.
James Troedel, of Melbourne company Collectus, said the project would benefit “all parties involved” as well as the community.
The pool would be open to the public outside school hours.
Mr Troedel said Collectus had offered to pay construction costs for a 25metre pool and an 18metrelearntoswim facility on the school’s land.
An operator would run the business and administer learntoswim programs.
Mr Troedel said swimming lessons and public use of the facilities would pay for the school’s 30year lease of the pool.
But the education office had baulked at the school committing to paying the lease regardless of the pool’s success.
“That’s the idea we’ve put forward but the Catholic school system couldn’t commit to the lease payments,” Mr Troedel said.
“Our projects are funded by superannuation funds and we have to have a guarantee of repayment before we go ahead.
“After 30 years the pool would be theirs.”
Mr Troedel expected the pool would turn a profit.
“We’re still keen to build the pool,” he said.
“If they wanted to reconsider our plan we’d be happy to be involved.
“Certainly, the school wants the pool but the education office can’t make the commitment we require.”
St Ignatius College principal Michael Exton declined to comment on the details of the proposal or why the college would not commit to lease payments.
“Any model put forward needs to satisfy our requirements,” Mr Exton said.
“While we’re keen to attract such infrastructure to the Drysdale area we need to be satisfied with the financial model and at this stage we are not satisfied.”