By CASEY NEILL
Dandenong’s Oasis pool could make a $50 million move to Dandenong Market, under a confidential council plan.
Councillor Maria Sampey let the cat out of the bag at the Monday 11 July Greater Dandenong Council meeting.
Her colleagues exchanged gobsmacked expressions as she questioned where an extra 300 parking spaces would come from to accommodate the relocation.
Cr John Kelly leapt to his feet and called a point of order, blurting out with urgency that the matter was discussed at a councillor briefing session as a confidential item.
Cr Sampey was stopped mid-sentence and took her seat as corporate services director Mick Jaensch responded to the point of order, confirming that the matter was indeed confidential and in the “very early planning stages”.
She remained seated and silent, with a bemused expression on her face, and the councillor question time segment moved on to Cr Peter Brown.
He offered Cr Sampey a bag to put the proverbial cat into.
Greater Dandenong CEO John Bennie said the council was following a scheduled review of its Dandenong Market precinct masterplan, “part of which is to consider a wide range of opportunities and scenarios for such a key site”.
“In parallel with this process, the council is considering the long-term future of the Dandenong Oasis,” he said.
“One option is whether a facility of this type could sit in the activity centre.”
Mr Bennie said the council would engage with the community once it had developed its initial thinking around a masterplan and options for the pool’s future.
“A key objective of any outcome is that we develop a state-of-the-art facility that meets the needs of our community into the future and integrates with other uses,” he said.
