We write to remind you how our quest for an Aquatic Centre on Phillip Island has progressed over time.
 
In 1994 a group was formed to build a hydrotherapy pool to help our ageing population. In 1996, at the time of amalgamation, the then Premier, Jeff Kennett, agreed to building an Aquatic Centre on Phillip Island and promised money for it. Unfortunately, this commitment was not registered, so the NEWLY amalgamated Bass Coast Shire Council did not have to comply with it.
 
In 2000, PIACF was incorporated and started a new campaign to build an Aquatic Centre, including hydrotherapy, on the Island. It is pleasing that many of the founding group are still actively involved today, a testament of both how strongly people want this development and their resiliency to keep going some 20 years later.  
 
More recently BCSC produced a plan which was for our Aquatic Centre in 2015/6 to be located behind the cultural centre. In 2016, the new council rescinded the plans and location, aiming to secure a bigger and better location within four months. It is now four years later and we still have no pool!
 
Phillip Island San Remo has been called the ‘Golden Goose’ of BCSC and rightly so. This area contributes nearly half (at least 47%) of the annual rate revenue of BCSC yet receives far smaller proportion of the Capital Works budget (even including the recent projects over the last couple of years).  For example, revenue from Phillip Island between 2012/13 to 2017/18 amounted to $131M, yet only $27M (25.7%) was spent on Capital Works on the Island. The balance, $78.7mil (74.3%), was spent across the rest of the Shire. This has been the pattern since amalgamation!
 
Remember that the recent State Government investment of $48 million in the Phillip Island Nature Park this does not generate facilities for the local population although it provides some employment for locals (although any increase in employee numbers is difficult to evaluate due to COVID). We understand that Phillip Island and San Remo are a part of Bass Coast Shire, but …. It is also different. Phillip Island is the main driver of tourism in the area. The majority of tourists do not come to visit Wonthaggi, or indeed many parts of the Shire, they come to Phillip Island and the coastal towns. So why haven’t we improved the local infrastructure to improve the well-being of our Island community when it brings in the tourist revenue that benefits the rest of the Shire. The ‘Golden Goose’ needs to be kept in good condition to carry on providing these financial benefits!
 
Our committee has, at our expense, worked closely with the other sporting bodies on the island to develop an aspirational plan for the land purchased to become the Island Sporting and recreational Hub. Our aspirational plan outlines clearly what we are looking for, as well as most sporting clubs also need not tomorrow, but today, how much longer will we need to wait.

Although this is above and beyond the groups’ original aim of securing an Aquatic centre, we believe that having a clear vision is vital for us all to enable the development of our young people and that the development of such facilities cannot continue to languish. After all, we have been waiting for some 24+ years. Two of our hard working and committed workers, Phil Dixon and Colin Grey, died in 2020 without seeing their dream come to fruition. What legacy can we pass on to their families? That they tried valiantly for 24 years and could not achieve their goal due to Council vacillation!
 
Our committee calls on all residents of Phillip Island and San Remo to support this project. We need to ensure our children can swim. Whilst we are lucky to call Phillip Island home, we are surrounded by water, but many of our children do not learn to swim competently due to lack of facilities. All of the bodies that monitor water safety stress that learning to swim must occur in still water. We need as a society to keep our elderly as fit and well as we can by providing access to warm water exercises/hydrotherapy. Why do we not have enough Aquatic capability to provide exercise and sporting opportunities for all age groups?
 
A great deal of money and energy have been invested over time in feasibility studies, which have all arrived at the same conclusion - Build an Aquatic Centre on Phillip Island Now, we are all sick of waiting.
 
If you agree, talk to your local Ward Councillor, lets make some noise or even become a member - every little bit helps.

The crippling effects of COVID restrictions on our tourist-based economy, are evident by the empty shops in town, increased homelessness, and greater reliance of the PICAL Foodbank.
It is obvious that the process of building a modern, state of the art Aquatic Centre will directly stimulate the economy during the construction phase, and with new employment opportunities both in operational and in health and well-being roles. 

What is less obvious, is that the presence of a new Aquatic facility will provide a platform to rebuild existing businesses, and grow new ones, based on multi-day visitation for swim carnivals and training camps using the extensive range of accommodation, dining and other attractions that Phillip Island has to offer. One thing that COVID has made us aware of, is that we must diversify our tourist offerings and focus on the domestic market rather than international tourists. Having a modern aquatic facility can give us such a focus and provide that positive shot in the arm, that is much needed after the huge adverse impact COVID restrictions have had across most of our local businesses.

We are all feeling social isolation at this time, the lack of physically being with our friends and families pulls at us all. We know that providing social interaction and varied exercise is important for mental and physical health and well-being for all of our community. Whilst it is very important for the young need to be able to enjoy play and sport with their friends, we should not underestimate the importance of the opportunity for our senior citizens to engage in safe group activities, especially after feeling so vulnerable during the pandemic. An Aquatic Centre will provide the means to do this.

With the development of the new Junior High School and expansion at the Star of the Sea, there is likely to be an increase in younger families being drawn to the area, especially now it has been clearly established that people can work remotely. This will mean an increase in the numbers of children on Phillip Island and surrounds. We need to cater for this so that we can provide basic water safety classes for children as mandated by the State government. Currently, there is simply not the capacity to do so on Bass Coast Shire. For children who live on an Island, not being able to swim can be life threatening. Having a pool on Phillip Island will address this and result in more confident children, who may even become our future life-savers.

Perhaps the most important aspect of building a swimming pool on Phillip Island will be creating a positive mindset for the future. After all, Islanders will be seeing a dream fulfilled that has been identified as the most desired improvement on Phillip Island by the residents for nearly a quarter of a century.

Why not become a member and hear more of our ideas at our upcoming Virtual AGM on the 6th October.

Bass Coast Shire Council has agreed that there will soon be two aquatic centres in the Shire – one to replace the ageing Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre at Wonthaggi, and a new one on Phillip Island.

Council has hired a consultant to estimate the operating costs of the two centres for the next decade. It is anticipated tenders will be invited for architects to draw up detailed design plans early in 2021. The goal is to have plans “shovel-ready”, prior to the next state and federal election cycle. Infrastructure funding is seen as important to a post-COVID economic recovery.

The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc. has been working with Council to identify the aquatic elements the community will need, to create a facility that we have been working toward for a quarter of a century.

We have had talks with Phillip Island sporting and recreation clubs, swim clubs, schools and community members, as well as operators in the tourism and accommodation spheres (school camps included), to identify potential patronage of the facility.

Given that Council has declared we are in a climate emergency, it is vital that the new Council looks beyond architects who may promote an off-the-shelf design. It is imperative that sustainable and renewable energy sources are utilised, which will have the long-term benefit of reducing operating costs. Our research into renewable energy has taken into account the energy required to heat the pool water, and generally operate the aquatic facility, but to also provide energy to run the future sporting and recreational facilities that will be co-located with the centre.

The group Totally Renewable Phillip Island, has a goal to create Phillip Island into a carbon-neutral island in the near future. Our research shows that extensive installation of PV solar panels, perhaps coupled with geo-thermal and heat exchange technologies, may be the solution to the high energy needs of such a facility. It may eventuate that there is an opportunity to harness energy from a future Phillip Island waste transfer station, thus keeping the operating cost of that facility to a minimum for ratepayers.

Our aspirational design for the centre includes a lap pool that is 8 lanes wide to cater for swimming carnivals, as well as club, school and recreational swimmers, a learn-to-swim pool, a warm water exercise pool suitable for the hydrotherapy needs of our ageing community and a toddlers play pool. The warm water exercise pool will be constant depth and temperature 7-days-a-week. This has the capacity to significantly enhance the health and well-being resources of Phillip Island.

Apart from being co-located with other sporting and recreational facilities in the long term, the aquatic centre surrounds will ideally link with the Shire’s recreational shared pathways network. An off-leash dog exercise facility is an easy inclusion.

The site in chosen is at the gateway to Cowes. Ample car-parking spaces will enable people to drive to the precinct, then use active transport – walking and cycling, or buses to move to the shopping precinct, instead of relying on private cars. Again, this is in line with the Totally Renewable Phillip Island and climate emergency principles.

This is an exciting opportunity to embrace world-best-practice in aquatic design and renewable energy use to provide a facility that meets the current and future needs of our community.
 
Why not become a member and hear more of our ideas at our upcoming Virtual AGM on the 6th October.

As Islanders know, the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund (PIACF) has been advocating for an Aquatic Centre for Phillip Island for a quarter of a century.

Going into this LGA election, we believe that the BCSC has secured the land for this project, a major milestone in this project and must be celebrated. We have also heard that a firm has been employed to develop two sets of plans for two Aquatic Centres, one to be built in Wonthaggi and one on Phillip Island.

The Bass Coast Shire population is scheduled to grow across the Shire, with both the Phillip Island and Wonthaggi population forecast to double in the 15 years from 2015-2030. In an ideal world, BCSC would build two equivalent ‘50m sister pools’ in the Shire, helping heal any ‘Us/Them’ divide that exists in the Shire. Whether this is possible, we don’t know but it would be a wonderful outcome for the community and a great example of equity for all residents and ratepayers. Even the building of two equivalent 25m pools, designed to be extended to 50m if finances allow, is desirable. Economic modelling leads PIACF to believe that a 50m Aquatic Centre will pay its way on Phillip Island, plus provide a huge boost for tourism in the Shire and its economy.

Phillip Island has a huge amount of accommodation available, meaning that a Phillip Island pool can be marketed for multi-day training camps and carnivals. The draw-card of holding such events in a tourist destination appears to be very strong with the committee already approached about these, even though we have no pool! There is also a seasonal demand from tourists and school camps (estimated at 40 – 50,000 people p.a.) that could be tapped into on the Island. These factors lead PIACF to strongly advocate for a 50m pool for Phillip Island.

When building two Aquatic centres, PIACF believes that the order in which they are built is very important. If Wonthaggi is built first, all those who currently use the centre will not be able to swim/exercise/learn to swim for some 18-24 months. By contrast, if a new centre is built on Phillip Island first, then current users can still swim/exercise/learn to swim, by traveling to the Island as Phillip Island residents currently do.

Will the candidates running for this year’s LGA election continue with the historic behaviour or will they change the course of history and make the decision to build two 50m pools centre and build the first Aquatic Centre on Phillip Island?    

Growing tourism is critical for Bass Coast Shire to blossom post-COVID; a Phillip Island pool will move us in the right direction!

Why not become a member and hear more of our ideals at our upcoming Virtual AGM on the 6th October, just go to our web site www.piac.org.au

In 1994 a letter was written and sent out to all residents of the island calling for Hydrotherapy pool and a learn to swim pool. At the time it had the backing of Warley Hospital, Phillip Island Shire Council. A committee was formed which Anne Davies joined, as a physiotherapist she knew what was required for our ageing population. As time went on we saw Pamela Cameron, also a physiotherapist, become involved with our committee, and now we have Kristine Miles, also a physiotherapist, also striving to help our ageing community.
 
Then 1995-6 came with Jeff Kennett amalgamated council shires of which we were one. What Jeff did do, was have a feasibility studio carried out and paid for it, what was the verdict Build the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre now. However the commissioners of the new BCSC destroyed the feasibility study and we have been fighting for Council to revisit the issue for the last 25 years.
 
And we still have NO definite plans from Council when we will see it.
 
Between Phillip Island and San Remo 49% of the total general rate and garbage charges of the shire are realized, and what have we seen from the recreation expenditure over that time.
 
Surveys run by both our committee and the Phillip Island and San Remo Advertiser have returned an over whelming result to build the Aquatic Centre next, but still it falls on deaf ears in Wonthaggi.
 
Some will say Phillip Island has had its share of money spent on recreational structure, they fail to see that some if not all was agreed to be spent several years ago and it is only being spent now, I think this may be because of reserves being in the mix.
 
The results of the 2016 Census, Phillip Island represents 32% of the shires residents all living on the island; some 31.5% were aged below 19 years of age cohorts and 31.5% above 65 again of the total shire. If these figures don’t press the need I don’t know what will, with each year that passes we continue to grow. These figures don’t take into effect of the massive number of holiday homes on the Island, which represents 44% of total dwellings of the shire. 
 
We require much more recreation services as the Island has been left for most of the 25 years since amalgamation without any improvements.
 
Our current group of Councillors was canvassed before their election to gauge their support for an Aquatic Centre on the Island, can we say they have lived up to that commitment, they have one year left of their time, will or can they achieve that goal of an Aquatic Centre, time is running out.
 
What are we                                       Reduction in burden of disease in our Community
seeking to                                           Community expectations
address?                                             Social disadvantage
                                                           Unacceptable rates of drownings
 
What’s the                                           Improved community health, wellbeing and social inclusion
benefit?                                               Meeting community expectations
                                                            More jobs, great economic expectations
                                                            Reduced risk of drowning
 
Who                                                     Estimated 400,000 visitations per annum
Benefits?                                             Schools
                                                            Older aged members of the community
                                                            Allied health providers and their patients
                                                            People with disabilities
                                                            Low socioeconomic population
                                                            Families
                                                            Visitors to the Bass Coast
                                                            Sporting clubs
                                                            Community organisations
                                                            Local businesses
 
Cost of                                                 Lower levels of physical activity, social engagement
Inaction                                               Increased levels of detrimental health outcomes
                                                            Increased likelihood of drownings
 
Delivering                                            Improved community health, wellbeing and social inclusion
                                                            Meeting community expectations
                                                            More jobs, great economic benefits
                                                            Reduced risk of drowning
                                                            Est. $65M – total economic benefit
                                                            183 construction jobs
                                                            Approx 78 permanent full time jobs
                                                            All primary aged children learn to swim at least 50 metres
                                                            Affordable recreation facilities
                                                            Encourage better health through activity
When?                                            
                                                            The Shire has to develop a business case that
                                                            demonstrates that the project will be open to the public
                                                            by the end of 2022.     
 
 
 
Peter McMahon
Secretary/Treasurer
Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc.

Our Aspirational Recreation Plan (for the large parcel of private land that the Bass Coast Shire Council is currently planning to purchase on Phillip Island) has been produced to show the community of Phillip Island, the Council, the State Government and the State Opposition two things. The first being how much we currently lack in recreational infrastructure, given the published population figures in the 2016 Census, compared to the numbers within the remainder of the Shire.  Secondly, to give the Shire a base on which it could and should produce the necessary site drawings to bid for appropriate funding from all levels of government for the much-needed recreation facilities for Phillip Island.  We need the Shire to produce a Phillip Island recreational Masterplan; our plan could be used by the Shire to develop such a plan.
 
Below are the Shire’s population figures from the 2016 Census, they give an excellent example of why Phillip Island requires an Aquatic Centre plus other improved recreation facilities; 36% of the Shire’s total resident population is in the Phillip Island-San Remo area, with 35% of the 0-19 years age range in the same demographic area.   The resident population of Phillip Island and San Remo has grown by 9.90% (1152) over the last 5 years, compared to only 6.96%(1548) for the rest of the Shire excluding Inverloch.
 
The latest offering from Council’s “Active Bass Coast” tends to favour spending on existing, or on new recreation, facilities around Wonthaggi before other areas of the Shire.  Surely the population figures should largely guide what comes first, or, in Phillip Island’s case, address the lack of any major recreational infrastructure spending since Council amalgamation.  Bass Coast Shire Council has told our Football/Netball Club that, after they improve their rooms during 2018/19, they will need to wait another 20 years before they could move to more appropriate facilities.  Surely, it’s time to consider Phillip Island as a priority.

According to the attached chart, Phillip Island’s population has outgrown its current meagre recreational resources and we require urgent assistance to rectify the problem.
Our Aspirational Recreation Plan gives a good outline of the full range of recreation facilities required.  It has been produced after carefully studying all Bass Coast Council’s Plans and Strategies, plus a number of sporting bodies both in Australia and overseas.
As the fourth highest Tourism Location in Victoria, we can easily see how this helps fit the need to increase tourist numbers, but it comes down to how long we can wait? The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund has been waiting for 24 years - doing everything Council asked us to do, but we are still waiting for an Aquatic Centre.
Surely with State and Federal Government help we can obtain enough money to get started on a recreational plan that would produce vital improvements in good health and wellbeing for our resident base.
As a resident of Phillip Island and the Secretary and Public Officer of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Incorporated, I believe our quest fits all the necessary components of needing outside intervention to bring the recreation facilities on Phillip island into the 21st Century.  It is for this reason we would like to see tri-partied (Local, State and Federal Governments) joint funding not of just an Aquatic Centre but of the whole Aspirational Recreation Plan attached to this note.
As a catalyst for the creation of appropriate recreation facilities on Phillip Island, we seek a November 24, 2018 State election commitment from both the Victorian Labor Government and the Victorian Opposition to a minimum of $15 million towards part-funding of an Aquatic Centre. 
 
Yours sincerely,

Peter McMahon
Secretary, Public Officer
Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc.

The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc. is about to begin a series of public meetings outlining the checked history of our group, and where we are today. Our first public meeting is to be held in Grantville, in the Recreation Reserve building on the 28th November and everyone is welcome.

Our movement started back in 1991, with many people from all walks of life that could see what was required for Phillip Island and surroundings. Our group’s endeavors started officially in 1999, with the creation of our name and becoming an incorporated entity.
 
Over this protracted time frame, the group had many starts and stops, influenced by a Council not willing to help the process. This has now changed, with a Council aquatic strategy in place, agreeing to two aquatic centres across the Shire, including one on Phillip Island.

We will outline everything in detail to those present at our public meetings.   
 

Come along to the Grantville Recreation Reserve on Tuesday the 28th November at 7.00pm, to be brought up to speed regarding our progress to date.

 If you have any queries or ways to assist in fundraising or committee work please contact:
The Secretary   Tel: Peter McMahon  0418 533 256 or  Post: P.O. Box 808 Cowes VIC 3922