Twenty per cent of people using the Picton Leisure Centre come from this shire.

If we had a covered pool, people would use it every day of the year.

If you don’t support this, it will never happen.

Does that sound familiar? It should.

Those were arguments in favour of a “yes” vote in the 2008 referendum on the leisure centre. They’re the arguments that were derided, scoffed at and rejected by “no” voters less than a year ago.

And they’re the same arguments that “no” vote cheerleader, Cr Larry Whipper, trotted out this week in support of covering the Bowral Pool.

But then, Cr Whipper was not the only councillor who seemed to be reading from someone else’s notes on Wednesday.

Here was Cr Jim Clark, who opposed the leisure centre if it would “centralize swimming facilities and put other pools at risk of closure”, supporting investigations into something that could do just that.

Councillors who had promised consultation were unmoved by Cr Paul Tuddenham’s call to ask the people if they wanted a covered pool and if so, whether it should be at Bowral.

And councillors who stood on a platform of financial responsibility were unperturbed by Cr Duncan Gair’s warning that there was no money to maintain the existing pools – let alone cover one.

And remember the “no” argument that the Bowral Pool site couldn’t be sold because it was flood prone? Well apparently it no longer is, according to “no” proponents in the gallery.

At least Cr Whipper can take pride in keeping his promise to “listen”. Clearly, he was listening very well to both sides - and taking notes.