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Issue #274 – Wednesday, 25 March, 2015
Albury Wodonga’s largest circulating newspaper
And now, it’s time to vote ... This Saturday, New South Wales will head to the polls to vote for the state’s 56th parliament. With five candidates in the race for the electorate of Albury, we take a look at what each one stands for in the lead-up to 28 March. TURN TO PAGE 4 FOR OUR CANDIDATE PROFILES
â– Decision to close pool leaves swimmers gasping...
Criminal figures keep police busy
High and dry
THEFT continues to remain one of Wodonga’s most problematic crimes, according to the latest figures from Victoria Police. Results released by the Crime Statistics Agency on Thursday for the year ending 31 December shows the Wodonga local government area had 700 incidences of theft throughout the year, averaging about two incidents a day. Court order breaches were the next common recorded crime in the city for the year at 466 counts while incidences of property damage sat at 427. Assault is also proving to be a major issue in Wodonga, with police reporting to 413 cases. These figures come as the city experienced a jump in its crime rate by more than 17 per cent in 2014. The figures show a total of 3250 offences were recorded in Wodonga local government area between January to December 2014, compared to 2774 in the previous 12 month period. Drug issues on the Border also cropped up in the figures, with 34 separate cases of drug dealing and trafficking reported by police, on top of 10 counts of manufacturing and 115 for drug use and possession. In shocking figures, Wodonga’s neighbouring Victorian city Wangaratta saw 738 counts of drug dealing and trafficking, highlighting the growing ice problem in regional Victoria. Family incidences also kept Wodonga police busy as they attended to 781 incidents throughout 2014. This is the highest number of family incidents recorded by police in the local government area since 2010, and is more than double the figure of four years earlier.
By ERIN SOMERVILLE
MEMBERS of Albury’s Fish Out of Water committee say Albury City Council has failed to consider the broad range of pool users on the Border after it voted against extending the Albury Swim Centre season. The decision was passed unanimously by councillors at Monday night’s meeting after they decided that additional operating costs would be prohibitive. The decision was met with disappointment by Fish Out of Water members who said a year-round pool or extended season would provide extraordinary benefits for the Border community. “We don’t believe the issues have been looked at properly,� Fish Out of Water member Don Taylor said. “We are a small group representing a broad range of groups and users of the pool across the area.� Fish Out of Water members told Albury Wodonga News Weekly after Monday’s meeting that they felt the council only took into consideration lap and elite swimmers, rather than sporting groups. They said additional competitions could be held on the Border if the pool was brought up to international FINA standards. This would include catering to divers, triathletes and year-round water polo competitions. Monday night’s report outlined three options for an extended season trial, including opening for an additional four to six weeks with reduced operating hours. Mayor Kevin Mack said even the cheapest option equates to an additional $59,000 in operating costs and wasn’t viable.
Sophie, Jamie and Isabelle Lawrence enjoy the tail end of the pool season. 136667 Picture: ADAM WILSON “This is based on a scenario of 150 visits per day with the pool opening for an extra four weeks for 19 hours per week. “We would, in essence, be subsidising each swimmer to the tune of $17.10 per visit compared with $2.90 during the regular season. “While we appreciate the importance of swimming to local athletes and those wanting to keep fit, we simply can’t justify the additional costs, which are not included in the 14/15 budget.�
“When compared to other standalone regional outdoor pools, the Albury Swim Centre season is already one of the longest, extending from mid-September to mid-April.� The council is encouraging those pushing for extra opening hours to use the existing local indoor aquatic facilities during the off-season. However Fish Out of Water said the city’s two private 25-metre indoor facilitates are inadequate to support the Border’s volume of pool users. Members of the group say the
indoor facilities can become overheated and very crowded in the winter months, with many sporting groups using them for training. Fish Out of Water member TerryAnne Scott said it was also important that children in the area were able swim regularly for health and safety reasons. “Kids need to be swimming year round,� she said. “We are surrounded by water, and have the river and the weir, and it’s important our kids have strong skills.�
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