Hume City ratepayers will foot the entire half a million dollar bill for repairs to the heated indoor swimming pool at the Sunbury Aquatic and Leisure Centre after the council’s insurance claim was denied – not once, but twice.
Trouble struck the 25m pool in early 2023 when leaky pipes were blamed for its temporary closure. It didn’t open again until January this year – following an announcement it would open in December for the school holidays. Flaking paint on the pool’s surface was blamed for the delayed opening (after it was filled with water).
To add insult to injury, the initial repair bill ballooned from $45,000 to $525,000. It was then council issued a statement saying it would be putting in an insurance claim to cover the repairs.
After first asking in November about the insurance, council has revealed a little more detail saying there was no dollar figure on its claim form to Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance.
“Council claimed for the repair works, rather than a specific dollar amount,” says a council spokesperson.
“The claim was denied on the basis that the cause of the loss was not covered by the policy. Council appealed the claim to the insurer. However, after further assessment, the claim remained denied.”
Insurers told council damage to the pool was caused by gradual deterioration consistent with general wear and tear, and normal ground movements.
“Council sought independent legal advice, which did not support pursuing the matter further,” says the spokesperson.
Council spent $6,500 of ratepayers’ money on legal advice appealing Berkshire Hathaway’s decision.
Sunbury Life asked to see the engineers’ report on the damaged pool last year, but was refused.
“It’s private,” said a council spokesperson.
See our other Sunbury pool reports here.
