2024 Election Fact Check: Claims about Lane Cove Sports and Recreation Centre
There’s been a lot of misinformation about the Lane Cove Sports and Recreation Centre since it was first proposed. So what are the facts?
I don’t want any confusion in the community, so thought it best you hear it direct from me.
Here are the two most common myths floating around this election campaign.
Independents and The Greens will cancel the Sport and Rec if reelected: FALSE
No. I won't propose or support any motion along these lines.
Anyone who says that current independent Councillors running for re-election will do this is fearmongering for political gain.
Public statements from my fellow Independent Councillors Merri Southwood and Kathy Bryla confirm this. And Councillor Rochelle Flood has also made clear that she supports the project continuing.
I’m looking forward to having the project completed for the community. Going this far down the line to then stop would be a huge waste of ratepayer money.
That isn't something I’d ever wish for and it’s preposterous to suggest this would happen at this late stage.
2. Independents recently tried to cancel the Sports and Rec in May 2024: FALSE
This is also untrue. Some of my fellow Councillors and I raised concerns about huge increases in costs earlier in 2024.
I was also concerned about a lack of transparency around this and wanted to confirm that there would be no long-term impact to the financial health of Council.
The intention was never to 'cancel works' but to workshop how we could proceed without the costs spiralling beyond what we could afford. I think these are sensible questions.
In the Cove has written an excellent summary of the situation with statements from myself and my fellow Councillors.
3. Lane Cove Council is in danger of going into administration if you elect Independents: FALSE
Council is not in any way under threat of going into administration. There are legal guidelines on how and why a local government would be put in this scenario. This process is managed by the Minister for Local Government and Office of Local Government.
The last 3 years at Lane Cove Council have in reality been hugely productive. There has been some fantastic collaboration between Councillors. You can take a look at my record and also see the council resolution tracker on the Lane Cove Council website.
So why the fear-mongering?
Spreading misinformation about this project and independents inflames anxiety in the community and paints community-focused independents like myself negatively.
In short, it’s politically useful for some members of our community to spread falsehoods.
I’ve had questions about this project from the beginning. And I did vote against the facility going ahead in its current form.
But the Lane Cove Sports and Recreation Centre, is happening now and I'm committed to seeing it through.
I am not anti-sport: I’ve always wanted a facility to be proud of
My questions about the project have always been consistent: How can we provide a facility while alleviating financial and environmental risks?
It's my job as a Councillor to ensure all projects we undertake meet the needs of our residents today and in the future.
As this project has evolved from a proposal to planning and then construction, I’ve challenged the council to ensure it meets a couple of what some of my fellow Councillors and myself believe are non-negotiables:
We avoid huge cost blow-outs wherever possible
The project meets the highest standards of environmental performance and energy efficiency
We minimise the loss of established trees
We minimise traffic congestion and consider how we could provide a means to connect residents via active transport or a community bus since the project isn't close to any public transport hubs
Early on, we explored other potential sites for a facility that were closer to public transport.
I also asked at the beginning if we could alleviate some of the costs by collaborating with other nearby councils whose residents would also be using this facility.
We aren't a City of Sydney or Inner West Council: we don't have huge resources for capital works projects.
I think there is real value in collaborating with our neighbours. And I will continue to push for this collaboration, knowledge resource sharing where possible on future initiatives and projects.
What next?
The Lane Cove Sports and Recreation is going full steam ahead and it's exciting for our community. I want to ensure that we have a project we can all be proud of.
And I will keep asking questions on this project and other issues, because I wouldn't be doing my job as a Councillor otherwise.
You might like to read an updated statement released by myself and 3 of my council colleagues on Friday 6 September.
Transparency
UPDATE 1: This article was updated 31 August to acknowledge the position of The Greens Councillor Rochelle Flood and to incorporate additional false claims about Lane Cove Council’s financial viability.
UPDATE 2: This article was updated 2 September include information about my voting record.
