In setting up the Enough is Enough petition: https://chng.it/XsB6tjgRbf

What I'm trying to ask our community is to support asking:

“The Mayor and Councilor's of Clarence Valley Council to finalize a decision and commit in writing to one of the following actions to be put in place with a commencement date for construction to start immediately sooner rather than later, I’m trying to ask the community for support in hope that is not another 12 months/ 2 years or even 10 years because that’s how long it has taken for this project to get back on the councils’ agenda. This project was started in 2013? 

The possible additional 10 years projection came in because this is what has been put into news reports, and in community gathering regarding the pool. This is the information that is being communicated to our community. 

Information in the community is being heard that if we don’t have the majority of councillors on board to make the hard decision the whole pool plan will be starting from the start again and this project is now on 10 years ago it started if not longer. 

Possible If at the next council meeting or when the pool comes back on the agenda, we still have a divided council my understanding could mean possible loss of current funding, new tendering the current one started in December 2022 and still on going, new surveying, new architect, possible another revised plan and starting all over again and this is also what is being heard in the community. 

You may ask, Why I put option 1 in the petition as being the preferred option. Because this would be what I believe has been perceived as the only possible option the community has left and why do I believe this? Again because of the information that is being put in to the community in relation to this project. 

What I’m hearing is, if we build the 50 mt first, the community will not be able to access the pool as it will be too higher risk, a hazard to the community with accessibility as the site will still be a construction site? Miss interpretation of information that is in the community has led me to also believe that under the same possible concerns if the 25 mt pool is built first again accessibility may also be declining the community access due to the risk factors in the construction of the 50 mt pool on the site?

Option one was first established as a staging build and has now turned to a whole build, why especially when everyone has always known the Valley has never had the funding to build to facility in this manner and we have been waiting for Santa to come. 

In August 2022 Council were not in a position to review borrowing the money and 12 months on when quotes would have now appeared to have possible doubled, interest for loans have increased but it now seems suitable to establish a community debt. The daily household is struggling, and the cost of living is taking its toll on everyone but that’s just my opinion. 

As for opinion 2, I believe this option would appear it has never really been heard, always shut down, lack of information giving on the real viability and the actual possibility of the 50mt pool being the first stage not the 2 stage. 

Building what we can with what council have allocated or funding for, should in my opinion have been presented and clearly communicated to the whole of the Clarence Valley, possible even updated community surveys in the knowing of what the community don’t have any more and in actual fact reviewing what the community needs or want now. When was the community last consulted regarding the project? Working on possible older suggestions and reaching for the stars in knowing the community will pay for it in the long term maybe out dated and consideration for what the community now need should have been considered with the community consultation.  

And honestly could be incorrect in what an trying to present and emotional involved in this not politically. But I hope this clears up some of the possible miss communication. Grafton pool needs to keep moving forward and not be put on hold again. 

We need the council to make the hard decision with consideration of the whole community sooner rather than later.   

In this petition I’m not suggesting what is the best option for the community but trying to inform what I believe is being subjected to the community as what may currently be being negotiated with tenderers.

And if you do have an opinion you would like to share on what option you have a preference will be in the community’s best interest long term there is the opportunity to provide a comment in the comment section in the petition to have a say with your own voice.