Prime Minister Turnbull makes pool funding pledge in South Australian by-election

While campaigning for Liberal Party candidate Georgina Downer in the Mayo by-election in South Australia, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has today pledged $10 million in funding for a new aquatic centre.

The ‘pork barrel’ commitment will go towards the $25 million cost of replacing the current open-air Mountain Pool at Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills, which was built in 1955.

The aquatic centre project will include three indoor swimming pools, a community recreation space and an indoor multi-purpose stadium. Land has also been set aside for an outdoor pool to be built in the future.

Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie welcomed the funding as a "great win" for the local community, advisng that she added that she helped lodge the application for the project earlier this year, before she resigned from Federal Parliament because of her citizenship.

The Government said the new aquatic centre would deliver more than 60 direct and indirect jobs while construction is underway, with 30 direct and indirect ongoing jobs once the pool is open.

Mayo voters will head to the polls on 28th July, along with those in four other electorates around the country.

Editor’s note: Pork barrel politics is a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localised projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a candidate or representative's district. 

Image: The Mountain Pool in Mount Barker was built in 1955. Courtesy Facebook/Mount Barker Mountain Pool.

17th May 2018 - BY-ELECTION PROMPTS $60 MILLION CABLE CAR PLEDGE FROM FEDERAL AND TASMANIAN GOVERNMENTS

2nd January 2018 - PRIME MINISTER TURNBULL PLEDGES FURTHER $3 MILLION TO SURF LIFESAVERS TO CURB DROWNING DEATHS

17th October 2017 - BELGRAVIA LEISURE TO MANAGE MOUNT BARKER DISTRICT COUNCIL AQUATIC AND RECREATION CENTRES

14th September 2017 - SA AQUATIC AND LEISURE CENTRE OPENS MASSIVE ROOFTOP SOLAR POWER INSTALLATION

23rd June 2017 - COMMUNITY AND ELITE SPORT GETS BACKING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BUDGET 

28th October 2016 - RECREATION SA RELEASES CODE OF PRACTICE FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC POOLS 

11th August 2013 - LEISURE BENEFITS FROM FEDERAL ELECTION FUNDING COMMITMENTS

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