10 year Shellharbour Council subsidies total $10 million for pools and $6.5 million on sports fields

A recent report presented to Shellharbour City councillors shows that, over the past 10 years, the Council has subsidised its swimming pools by $10 million and its sports fields by $6.5 million

During the same period it was revealed that Shellharbour ratepayers had subsidised The Links, Shell Cove golf course by $7 million.

Commenting on the golf course subsidy, Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba told the Illawarra Mercury that “while golf is not everyone's sport, it does provide an outlet for our community and tourists; it provides job opportunities and training activities (and) it has multiple benefits on a number of levels."

However, Councillor Peter Moran said the big difference between the Council subsidising the golf course and its pools and sports fields was that pools and sports fields were often used by people who could not afford to fund their own recreation.

Councillor Moran stated "the main group of people who use The Links are middle-aged, middle-class men who can well afford to pay for their own recreation.

"There is a difference between subsiding things for a poor kid from Warilla and subsiding a relatively wealthy man who could pay full freight for his recreation if he so chose."

Shellharbour City councillors are to soon debate a confidential report on the future of The Links.

25th November 2009 - END OF FREE SWIMMING AT SHELLHARBOUR