Some Bundaberg residents, lobbying against the town's memorial pool demolition, are up in arms as the price tag for a new aquatic centre reaches an eye-watering high.
Bundaberg Regional Council has refused to put the Anzac Park redevelopment on hold, despite a pending heritage listing application, arguing the cost would rise further with any delays.
Rockhampton company T F Woollam & Son has been awarded the tender to build the Bundaberg Aquatic Centre, with the cost jumping to $75.8 million from last year's estimate of $45 million.
Meanwhile, Loftus Contracting was awarded the tender for the demolition of the Anzac Park Memorial Pool.
Angela Lathouras is leading the charge of concerned residents who are trying to overturn the demolition of the 99-year-old Anzac Park.
Ms Lathouras said she was shocked by the new cost.
"The contract price is $75.8 million plus GST, so that takes us up over $83 million and that's not all of the work," she said.
"Whatever it ends up costing is going to be extraordinary plus $19 million on the riverfront."
The redevelopment of the Anzac pool site will include a recreational precinct, outdoor stages, and a new war memorial.
Mayor Jack Dempsey said the council decided against building the new pool facility in stages.
"We know that it's a generational project, which will be used to benefit all the people across the whole of the region," he said.
"It's the time to do it now before interest rates go up, before extra costs of equipment and wages go up as well."
But Ms Lathouras pointed to other regional cities like Townsville, Cairns and Rockhampton that had preserved their memorial pools for their communities.
"They've upgraded those pools, they've got amazing facilities in all of those places, and they are part of beachfront and riverfront upgrades," she said.
"The upgrade of Tobruk pool in Townsville cost $11 million.
"We know that this pool [Anzac pool] has national significance as a war memorial, the first pool was a gift to the city in commemoration of all who fought in the First World War."
The original pool was built in Bundaberg in 1923 using money raised by the original Anzacs of Bundaberg.
An application was submitted to the Queensland Heritage Register by Jilda Edwards, Michele Pearson, and Zoe King for potential heritage listing last month.
The Department of Environment and Science (DES) is assessing the heritage listing application.
Their website stated the submission was being processed and a recommendation was being prepared for the Queensland Heritage Register.
But Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon advised council she would not be making a stop order on the demolition as she was not satisfied that the pool was likely to satisfy one or more cultural heritage criteria contained in section 35 of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992.
"It's unbelievable the council would consider demolishing it, notwithstanding the connection many people feel to that place," Ms Lathouras said.
"What kind of an organisation would rush ahead with the demolition when there is a heritage listing application in process?
"It's extraordinary, it's so disrespectful."
Cr Dempsey said regardless of the heritage listing application, demolition work would push ahead.
"We need to get on with the job of delivering this aquatic facility," he said.
Councillor Tracey McPhee, who holds the community services portfolio, said the demolition work would start as soon as the contractor was on site.
"The Environment Minister has indicated that there's no requirement for council to delay the progress of the work," she said.
"Public submissions did close a couple of weeks ago and since then we haven't had any further advice from the [DES]."
