Gold Coast City Council defers pool contract management decision

The Gold Coast City Council has deferred making a decision on the award of a tender for the management of its eight aquatic centres.

Council staff had recommended management company Belgravia Leisure be awarded the three-year (plus one year extension) contract but the Council's Finance Committee last week decided to refer the decision to a councillor workshop to review details of the tender evaluation process.

The Council's decision appears to have been influenced by the current leasees of the Palm Beach Aquatic Centre, Michael and Narelle Wenden - who have managed the facility for 34 years.

Michael Wenden was a swimming gold medallist in the 100 and 200 metre freestyle events at the 1968 Olympics.

The Wenden's concerns over the recommendation to award the contract to Belgravia Leisure were widely reported in News Ltd media, including the Brisbane Courier Mail and The Australian, and related websites.

News Ltd have previously questioned the award of aquatic and recreation facility management contracts to Belgravia Leisure in south east Queensland, even suggesting, in September 2009, that contract management of facilities was to blame for a decline in the numbers of marquee coaches and elite swimming performance.

Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke, an Olympic and Commonwealth Games teammate of Wenden, was reportedly "appalled" by the current recommendation.

In the same story in The Australian it was suggested that the recommended change of management would affect the Gold Coast's Commonwealth Games bid.

In a statement on the Council's website, Mayor Clarke said the contract decision was an important one and councillors wanted more time to consider the evaluation criteria and the methodology applied in the assessment process, stating "the decision on who operates the city's pools is important and it is vital to ensure that whatever decision is reached is in the best interests of local communities.

"In the meantime, Council will be communicating with all tenderers and current pool operators and the pools will continue to operate as normal."

Belgravia Leisure have managed the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre (Southport Pool) since 2009.

30th September 2009 - CONTRACT MANAGEMENT NOT TO BLAME FOR COACHING DECLINE