Moyne Shire to review $10k payments to Belfast Aquatics in 2024

Councillors were asked to vote on a recommendation to continue paying the community pool's insurance premiums.

The council voted in June last year to cover the insurance premiums, since the centre's previous insurer refused to renew its policy.

Councillors were also asked to agree deferring investigation of an appropriate management model while the leisure centre fights six charges over the death of an eight-year-old boy in 2021.

Cr Damian Gleeson said he believed the council should review whether to continue paying the $10,000 a month when the centre's insurance came up for renewal in March or April next year.

He said he was concerned the council could be locking itself in to the monthly payment for a long period of time unless this was included in the motion.

"Obviously we want to try and support the pool," Cr Gleeson said.

However, he said he didn't want a new council, which would be elected in late 2024, to inherit a $10,000 a month payment.

Cr James Purcell shared similar sentiments, saying the council should do "all we can to keep it open".

However, he said the council shouldn't commit to an open-ended payment plan.

Chief executive officer Brett Davis said the investigation into alternate management models had been deferred due to the litigation.

Cr Jim Doukas questioned this, asking why the investigation couldn't proceed.

He said he was concerned there may be no outcome in the court case when the insurance was due for review.

"In March next year are we going to decide to keep on paying and throw in another $100,000," Cr Doukas asked.

"I think we need to get off our backsides and consider other options."

Mr Davis said the council had received advice to pause the investigation until the court case concluded.

The council also pays Belfast Aquatics $200,000 each year to defray its other costs. Since March 2022 the council has also spent up to $20,000 to fix deficient governance documentation, and commissioned a six-month independent investigation into how the centre was run, at an additional cost of $46,310.

The vote was passed 6-0, with all councillors present voting in favour of the motion.

Cr Jordan Lockett was absent.

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