North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker (left) pictured with fellow councillor MaryAnn Beregi,previously demanded greater transparency of the $64 million North Sydney Olympic Pool redevelopment.Credit:Nick Moir
Former mayor Jilly Gibson told the meeting it was “quite distressing” that Baker was “slapping this sort of big ticket item on us without any notice”.
She warned a review of the project could cost ratepayers more than $100,000. “There is no indication what the concerns[about the project] are,but we are being asked to spend vast amounts of ratepayers’ money to go on a witch-hunt,” Gibson said.
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The council has blamed the delays on the COVID-19 pandemic,removal of hazardous materials including asbestos,wet weather and design changes due to the complex nature of the project.
Baker said the council was also expecting the cost of the project to rise beyond the $63.8 million approved by the council. She said the council would not speculate on projected timeframes or cost.
Gibson said a decision about the inquiry should be deferred until the council’s new general manager – former Randwick Council general manager Therese Manns – started in coming months.
Councillor Alanya Drummond,who is Gibson’s daughter,said the project had been “exceptionally well managed”,and agreed it would be “an extraordinary decision to launch an expensive retrospective investigation of a large financial process under an interim management structure”.
Councillor Ian Mutton told the meeting variations to the contract this year were “dramatically impacting” the cost of the redevelopment. Fellow councillor James Spenceley said a report into the council’s financial position would be useful for the incoming general manager.
“The variations are large. Many of them may not be significantly substantiated. As with all builders,you tend to get large ambit claims,negotiate and arrive somewhere.”
Baker said the independent inquiry would focus on the council and did not reflect on Icon.
The redevelopment of North Sydney’s Olympic Pool has been delayed by cost blowouts.Credit:Rhett Wyman
She said councillors who were elected last December had inherited the redevelopment from the previous council and were “legally bound under the building contract to deliver the project in this form whether we like it or not”.
“In my view,council is also morally obliged to deliver the project to an exceptionally high standard of construction and as quickly as practicable to ensure that pool users have access once again.”
Manns starts as the council’s general manager in November. She replaces Ken Gouldthorp,who resigned from the role in May.
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