The basement floor of the Hydro Pool.
Hilltops Council received via the proclamation of
Hilltops Shire the assets and liabilities of the former Harden Shire. That hasn’t stopped a report coming to Council advising that Council formally advise the Kruger Trust, the previous owner of the Kruger Health and Wellness Centre of an amount of $181,000 needed for the upgrade and maintenance of a number of items in the hydrotherapy pool area.
The Hydroworx pool was constructed in 2008 and according to Council’s report “is the home of the only one of its type hydrotherapy pool in Australia. The full complex was funded by the Kruger Trust.”
The report states, “Several major items have been replaced or upgraded in recent times. These include with an approximation of cost: Treadmill mat
replaced 2014 by Council at $7,500. Pool Heating system (now a heat exchanger), in 2014 (funded by Kruger Trust) at an approximate cost of $11,000.
Insulation pool wall to reduce heating costs in 2015, $ 2,500. Circulation pump replaced, by Council, 2015 at $2,213. Photovoltaic roof mounted system installed to further offset pool running costs, by Kruger Trust for an undisclosed sum. Treadmill mat and belt replacement 2017 for $8,000 Disinfection system upgraded in 2018 by Council to a value of $19,000.
The $180,000 needed includes items such as the vinyl liner which is apparently critical and at a cost of $79,000.
The PC system which is apparently 12 years old and is used to control and monitor pool operation against patient (record patient record). Mandatory current PC 12 years old. Urgent upgrade required. including software required. Only available via supplier. Cost $21,000.
Internal mechanicals come to $27,500 while Treadmill motor upgrade comes to $22,500.
Some of the parts can be sourced locally, however, other parts will need to be supplied from the US where the company is based. The cost is also
subject to the fluctuation in the Australian dollar with costings undertaken at an exchange rate of $0.65c
The report states that the Trust has been informally advised of the report into the facility and an appropriate level of funding required for there
maintenance.
The report states that there are a number of risks associated with the facility, which include “ a sudden fail mechanism of any or a combination of the items discussed, halting the use of the pool until that item is rectified. This rectification period could range from weeks to months depending on the severity and nature of the failure. The issue of sourcing
emergency funding is flagged as another risk. If such a failure occurred, the risk of loss of confidence in the Councils management of the pool and
possible ill feeling generated in the community is also a real risk to manage. There is also the contractual arrangement Council has with the
current lease and potential lost income/employment as a result of the failure down time that also presents a real risk to Council.”
It appears that although the pool has been on the books of the former Harden Shire Council and now Hilltops Council, the Trust contributed to a number of maintenance items prior to forced amalgamation whilst the facility was under the ownership of Harden Shire Council.
