Gunnedah pool staffing costs for 2020/2021 season to be covered by funds from other budget items

Gunnedah councillors voted at the May ordinary meeting to move $44,550 from sporting grounds funds and $51,793 from the parks and gardens budget to the pool temporary labour budget.

It was a whirlwind of a season, with a short-notice resignation from a senior pool attendant; permanent lifeguards taking four weeks of leave over Christmas and New Years; and two other lifeguards only able to conduct light duties after workplace injuries.

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The council had to engage the services of a labour hire business to provide casual lifeguards and kiosk attendants as it couldn't recruit the required amount of staff before the beginning of the season.

This, according to the May meeting papers, "increased costs considerably, exceeding the original casual staff budget".

But maintenance for sporting grounds and gardens tree maintenance was "significantly under budget" for the financial year due to a "flow-on effect from the COVID-19 shutdown and a shortage of parks and gardens staff earlier in the year".

"This enables these funds to be redistributed where required," the papers read.

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