The ACT government has promised the outdoor public swimming pools at Dickson and in the city will open as scheduled by the end of next month despite it still not being clear whether new managers have been appointed to run them.
The government has said only that an announcement will be made "shortly" regarding new managers for the Dickson, Civic, Gungahlin, Stromlo and Tuggeranong public pools, five months after a tender to manage them closed.
It is a year since the long-term operators of the Dickson swimming pool informed the ACT Property Group it wanted out of their contract to manage the facility but they still don't have an exit plan.
It is seven months since The Canberra Times revealed that not only the Dickson operators wanted out, but the Y NSW also wanted to cease managing the other big public pools in Canberra at Stromlo, Civic, Gungahlin and Lakeside Leisure (Tuggeranong).
A tender to manage the five public pools on behalf of the ACT government closed in April.
When asked last week if new operators had yet been appointed to manage the pools, a spokesperson for the government did not confirm either way.
"ACT Property Group is reaching the final stages of the procurement process and expect to make an announcement shortly," a statement read.
Chris Graham and Shay Kennedy through their company Dickson Aquatic Centre Pty Ltd, had managed the Dickson pool on behalf of the government since 1996.
They were contracted to manage the pool until June 30, 2024 but told the Property Group in September 2022 they wanted to exit the contract a year early.
'EVERYTHING IS A FIGHT'
Frustrated by a lack of action in the last 12 months, Mr Graham for the first time has laid out the reasons for wanting to leave the Dickson pool early.
He said it was purely because it was too hard working with the Property Group, part of Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate which manages public assets.
Mr Graham said his "small family business" had worked for almost three decades to make the Dickson pool a much-loved community facility, guiding it through the bushfires and COVID.
But he could no longer face dealing with the Property Group which he said stonewalled them at almost every turn and showed no interest in their effort to improve the facility.
"Everything is a fight," he said.
"It's just not pleasant. When you do have meetings with them, it's just this blank look. It's like they practice in a cult - they don't pass comment or acknowledge anything."
A spokesperson for the government said in response: "Dickson Aquatic Centre Pty Ltd has provided a great service to the local community for 26 years, and whilst it is sad they no longer want to operate Dickson Aquatic Centre, we look forward to working with them in the upcoming transition process".
Mr Graham said he was concerned a new manager should now be on site at the Dickson pool preparing for the season ahead - training up staff, booking in swimming lessons and locking in school carnivals.
But none of that was happening and he and his business partner remained in limbo, with no idea how long the transition period to the new management will take.
THEY WON'T SAY WHY
The Y NSW, meanwhile, again declined to comment last week about why it wanted to exit the contracts for the Civic, Stromlo, Gungahlin and Tuggeranong pools.
"The Y remains committed to providing quality services to the community during this period," a spokesperson said.
Amid predictions of a warmer than average summer, the government says both the Dickson and Civic outdoor pools will open as scheduled on the last weekend in October.
"ACT Property Group is working with the current operators to ensure the continuity of service for the community during the transition period and is also working with current providers and operators to ensure full services are provided under new management.
"It is intended that the four non-seasonal pools (Canberra Olympic Pool, Gungahlin Leisure Centre, Stromlo Leisure Centre, Lakeside Leisure Centre and Stromlo Leisure Centre) will remain operational throughout the transition between operators with minimal disruption to services."
Mr Graham, meanwhile, has been left to wonder why a year's notice to exit the contract has not been enough and whether he is simply being forced to serve it out by stealth, with no one telling them how long the "transition period" will take.
