The City of Newcastle's handling of its pools tender process has been described as "disappointing" and "mind-boggling" by regular pool users.
The Herald reported this week that the council had quietly advertised a public notice after a decision was made to award Bluefit the tender to manage the five inland pools for up to 21 years.
Beresfield Swimming Club life member Kaye Leyland said she was unhappy with how the council had handled the matter. She said she would have liked the opportunity for consultation before the decision was made by the council CEO.
"It seems like it's a done deal," she said.
"It was disappointing the public notice was put in a Sydney newspaper.
"If there isn't anything to hide, why was it handled this way? Why not be upfront?
"There doesn't seem to be a real openness about it."
As part of the lease, Bluefit has committed to freeze pool entry fees for the financial year, and won't raise them by more than CPI annually.
Beresfield has the lowest entry fees of all of the city's pools at $3 for general admission.
Ms Leyland had been fearful the cost would rise to match Bluefit's other pools if they took over the lease, so was glad that won't be the case.
"I'm very pleased the price will be maintained and won't go up more than inflation, which would only be around five per cent or so," she said.
"I only hope the facility continues to be maintained to a standard we expect from council."
Lambton pool user Mark Brooker said he thought most people were generally happy with Bluefit's management of the pools.
"I don't think people care who runs the pool as long as the service and product are good," he said.
However, he said the decision to advertise the public notice about the pools lease in the Daily Telegraph was "mind-boggling".
"It's so blatantly ticking a box to say we've advertised this," he said. "If they genuinely wanted comment they would have put it in the Saturday Herald and put out a media release to back it up.
"I would like to see them promote their next event in a small ad in Monday's Telegraph."
Mr Brooker, who ran as an independent in the last council election and operates a community newsletter in Lambton, said people who didn't engage with local government may be fine with the council's process.
But he thought those who were engaged were "being treated as fools".
"If the councillors didn't even know about [the public notice], what chance do the general public have to know this stuff?" he said.
The Bluefit tender included a contribution towards a $10 million indoor pool at Lambton. The indoor facility would benefit lap swimmers in winter and offer a shaded swimming alternative in summer, Mr Brooker said, while he preferred the outdoor parkland setting at Lambton.
"The grass, the barbecues, the slide you won't get with an indoor facility," he said.
Pool user Ross Kerridge, who advocated in a recent opinion piece for free entry to the pools, said he was "gobsmacked" by how the council had handled the tender process.
"I'm just appalled by the behaviour of council," he said. "They don't seem to be really considering the needs of the people of Newcastle."
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