Mayor's Weekly Message
Manly Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Swim Centre Water Polo proposal
8 May 2015
When completed, the new pool will provide the community with a state-of-the-art facility that includes a new 25 metre indoor pool, a children’s pool, a rehabilitation pool, spectator seating and gym, sauna and crèche facilities.
The plans also include provisions for a purpose-built water polo pool, dependent on joint funding by Water Polo Australia.
The Northern Beaches Breakers Water Polo Club has had a long association with the Manly Andrew Boy Charlton Swim Centre. For many years the Club has had the use of the 50 metre pool to train and hold competitions in for up to four nights a week.
Despite this, the local Club’s 1,100 members must regularly travel to Parramatta or Ryde to compete in their increasingly popular sport because water polo is played in pools that have different dimensions to those for general uses.
In 2013, Councillors voted in favour of my proposal to explore joint-funding opportunities that would enable us to include a new water polo pool as part of the swim centre upgrade. Converting the existing 25 metre outdoor pool is more cost effective than building a new indoor pool for water pool. It also means the pool can continue to be used by other swim centre patrons as well.
The Manly Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Swim Centre is immensely popular – close to 300,000 people use the Swim Centre each year, including up to 10,000 visits by water polo enthusiasts including school teams.
I am firmly of the view that Council must ensure that the Swim Centre’s patrons are adequately provided for - and there is every reason why sporting associations like the Water Polo Club should expect access to this excellent facility.
Music at Manly
On Friday 15 May at 7.30pm in the Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel, Darley Road, Manly, Music at Manly will present an exciting concert under the title “Life in a Day”.
The artists are two internationally known soloists - Amy Dickson (Saxophone) and Claire Edwardes (Percussion).
Both were winners of the ABC Young Performers Awards (2004 and 1999) and have since played with renowned orchestras overseas. For bookings telephone 9948 7738.
Jean Hay AM
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