Councillor MaryAnn Beregi,a long-time critic of the project,told a meeting last week the report by consultants PwC “absolutely vindicates everything I said in the last council with this project”.
“It was handled appallingly. I hold my tongue when I say,I told you so,but I did.
“We tried and tried to call the majority of the former council to at least listen,and to hear what we had to say,which was only in the best interests of North Sydney and the ratepayers,” Beregi said.
Work is forging ahead on redeveloping the pool. The project became a lightning rod for debate on the previous council due to rising costs,delays,the large scale of the project,andheritage concerns.
Loading
The PwC review,which the council ordered in October,revealed last month that the pool would not reopen until April 2024 – 18 months later than originally planned.
It found the $64 million budget did not consider all costs associated with project,such as internal project management,equipment and fit-outs,and did not provide sufficient contingency. The review was also critical of the council’s decision to manage the large and complex project internally,and its rush to sign the construction contract with developer Icon on New Year’s Eve in 2020.