Wollongong residents have gained a reprieve from the council plan to charge a flat rate $2 entrance fee for the five council owned swimming pools - at least until next year.
The pools at Berkeley, Helensburgh, Port Kembla, Unanderra - and the Continental pool near Belmore basin cost $ 3.6 million a year to maintain - and the council is strapped for cash.
The sticking point for most people is the imposition of a fee for something that has traditionally been free. We are used to free use of the pools, paid for by our rates and the user-pays principle sets our nerves on edge.
Unfortunately there may be more to come. Another big ticket item on the council books must be our free library system.
Citizens simply walk into a huge number of suburban libraries and borrow books - most of which cost in excess of $ 30 - for a week - at no cost.
If we think of charging a fee to use our pools - and potentially deny children of the poor a chance to learn to swim and have some free fun - how long before council demands a fee for each book borrowed ?
Its a chilling thought - but once accepted user-pays knows no bounds !
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