‘Pooling Together’ (TCFT) loses chairman, resigns

Proposed pool complex at Memorial Park, Mosgiel —now, Cr Mike Lord wants to add a gymnasium. Image: Baker Garden Architects

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Received from Maurice Prendergast
Wed, 1 Apr 2015 at 3:15 p.m.

█ Message: Letter below was sent to ODT editor some weeks ago. I have received by way of response an absolutely stony silence.

PS: Have just heard that Michael Stedman has resigned [from the Taieri Community Facilities Trust]. It seems that by coincidence, Russell Sim in speaking to Stedman yesterday was told that Stedman had had a letter ‘from Prendergast’ referred to him by ODT for his comment. I understand that he added, “I can’t reply.” E&OE

{See this comment from earlier today. -Eds}

From: Maurice Prendergast
Sent: Friday, 13 March 2015 12:19 p.m.
To: ‘editor@odt.co.nz’
Subject: Proposed Pool/funding

Editor ODT
Dunedin

Sir

I was stunned when reading the letters to the editor recently to see a caption which read ‘Questions about Pool asked and answered’.

An incisive clutch of questions follow from a Mr R Sim, but Mr Stedman (chairman of the Pool Trust) in deference to that part of the inferred head line ‘Questions answered” answered none of Mr Sim’s questions. This is the more disappointing by the fact that Mr Sim, rather than asking ‘sprawling questions’, asked clearly focused questions (presumably) to make it simple for Mr Stedman to answer.

In deference to answering these clearly structured questions, Mr Stedman embarked on a rambling attack on the man who had asked the questions, and answered none of his questions. Instead, he offered a clutch of inane statements; the most inane of which was this continuing absurdity that the Taieri Community will contribute a sum of $7.5M upfront to this fanciful project. Mr Stedman and his Trust have offered nothing to support this absurd claim. At a personal level, I am amongst those who would love a new pool; in the same way that I would love to own a Lamborghini. The reality is that I cannot afford a Lamborghini in the same way that I can’t afford the impact that a further debt ‘funded’ project will have on my rates bill.

Sincerely

Maurice Prendergast
Wingatui

Related Posts and Comments:
11.3.15 Mosgiel pool trust PLAINLY hasn’t got ‘$7.5M community support’
6.3.15 Propaganda from trust for Taieri pool project #Mosgiel
● 2.3.15 DCC: Mosgiel Pool private workshop Tuesday (tomorrow) [renders]
● 20.2.15 Taieri Aquatic Centre: 2nd try for SECRET meeting —hosted by Mayor
● 13.2.15 ‘Taieri Aquatic Centre’, email from M. Stedman via B. Feather
● 10.2.15 Dunedin City Councillors invited to Secret Meeting #Mosgiel
11.10.14 New Mosgiel Pool trust declared —(ready to r**t)
23.7.14 Mosgiel Pool: Taieri Times, ODT…. mmm #mates
16.7.14 Stadium: Exploiting CST model for new Mosgiel Pool #GOBs
● 4.2.14 DCC: Mosgiel Pool, closed-door parallels with stadium project…
30.1.14 DCC broke → More PPPs to line private pockets and stuff ratepayers
20.1.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 [see this comment & ff]
16.11.13 Community board (Mosgiel-Taieri) clandestine meetings
25.1.12 Waipori Fund – inane thinkings from a councillor
19.5.10 DScene – Public libraries, Hillside Workshops, stadium, pools
12.4.10 High-performance training pool at stadium?

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr