On the evening of 21st May 2014 the Bass Coast Council passed a motion to commit to providing an Aquatic Centre on Phillip Island.

This is terrific news for the Phillip Island Aquatic Fund Inc, which has been trying to obtain a commitment from Council, in one form or another, since 1992.

While this doesn’t give us a pool now, it does allow the Fund the ability to work with Council to agree on a location and develop a staged building approach by June 2015.

While we were hoping for a better outcome, at least it has been recognised at last we will ultimately get what was asked for a long time ago.

Council’s commitment comes with several steps we will need to commit to, the first being agreeing to a location.

The next will be to agree to the first stage of development. While the Phillip Island Aquatic Fund has developed several designs over its life span, we will now be working with Council on a closer basis to bring about this stage.

Council have also outlined that the Phillip Island community will need to raise 50% of the funds for the first stage of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre (and for each subsequent stage) for it to proceed. Once we have tied down exactly where the Centre will be, and what it will cost, the Fund will advise the Phillip Island community further.

Council also notes that at the June meeting, the consultant’s report on CA 79 master plan will be released for discussion, at which that time, it may help in confirming the location of the pool.

While Council made a range of estimates for the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre design, they did not invite any input from The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund and to this end we are not happy.

Our group has had and has many committed and competent people within it and we believe we could have helped with a better outcome. All we can say is at least we now have a commitment from Council to a Centre in the future.

On the same night, Council also committed to redeveloping the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre to a total estimated cost of $14,453,000 on a staged basis. The first stage is estimated to cost $10,669,000.    Council has also outlined that they have no funding for any Aquatic development at this stage. They will have to budget for the update to the Bass Aquatic Centre in Wonthaggi, as part of the 2015/2016 budget.

Interestingly, Council has not suggested that the community will need to directly raise funds for the Wonthaggi Centre, as it will be funded from Council’s general revenue funds.

Peter McMahon, Secretary PIACF Inc

If you have any queries or ways to assist in fundraising or committee work please contact:

The Secretary    Post: P.O. Box 808 Cowes VIC 3922                                                                 

The Aquatic Centre Fund Committee is very pleased that the Council has passed the Motion committing to provide an aquatic centre on Phillip Island. However, we are concerned about some of the conditions attached to the commitment. The requirement to raise 50% of the project cost through fundraising, government grants, community grants and private donations is a big ask, but the community support is huge and growing. We also have an active committee, and we feel we are up to the task.

We often hear the question, “Where is the money we raised all those years ago?” There is a financial statement on this webpage, that details income and expenditure since the Committee was formed. The money for the bricks is in the bank! Feasibility studies and engineering consultants have over time accounted for much of the expenditure, and we currently hold a balance of around $70,000

Our Committee has had no discussion with the Stand Alone people. Our focus is to achieve our goal of an aquatic centre on Phillip Island, by working with Bass Coast Shire Council. Similarly, we will work at raising funds from federal and state governments, whichever major party is in power. Privately, our committee members and fund members are free to support Stand Alone if they wish. Having said that, we acknowledge that the Stand Alone group lists the lack of an aquatic centre as one of their concerns.

The following is the motion approved by Council

Alternative Motion

Item E.7 Aquatic Facilities Feasibility Study

Recommendation:-

1.       Notes that the Feasibility Study for the viability of two aquatic centres in Bass Coast has been completed.

2.       Commit to providing an aquatic centre on Phillip Island subject to the following;

·         Undertaking further work to determine the suitable location for the Phillip Island Centre.

·         Undertaking further work to determine the most appropriate first stage of construction of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre by June 2015.

·         Continues to meet with the Phillip Island Working Group on a quarterly basis.

·         Council funding required to determine the most appropriate first stage, and design for construction of the first stage, is considered as part of the 2015/2016 budget.

·         Funding is obtained to the value of at least 50% of the cost of the first stage of construction through community fundraising and/or government grants. Community fundraising must take the form of cash funds.

·         Further stages of development of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre will require the community to achieve a fund raising target of equivalent to 50% of the cost of the project. Community fundraising must take the form of cash funds.

3.       Notes that a report will be presented to the June Council meeting regarding the development of the Crown Allotment 79 master plan.

4.       Commit to the redevelopment of the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre subject to the following;

·         The first stage of work will include providing a new 10 lane 25 meter pool and upgrading of the toilets, change rooms, providing a cafe, crèche and improved parking.

·         Further stages of development of the centre are to be determined as part of the design process currently being undertaken for the centre.

5.       Refers the funding for improved aquatic facilities in Bass Coast for consideration as part of the development of a long term financial plan during the 2014/2015 financial year.

6.       Begins to advocate to the state and federal governments for the funding required to develop two aquatic facilities in the municipality.

7.       Notes that Council’s current Strategic Resource Plan does not provide any allocation of funding for improved aquatic facilities in Bass Coast.

Carried by six to one (Neil)

Council ordinary meeting 21st May 2014

Twenty years on, pool crusaders counting the days  
By Catherine Watson
May 10, 2014

DON Turner has a dream: in November 2018, the island’s residents celebrate the 150th anniversary of European settlement with the opening of a new swimming pool.

The president of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre will find out in 11 days if his dream has any chance of coming true when councillors consider a report on whether the shire can afford two swimming pools.

This time last year the dream looked remote. In June 2013, councillors voted to put a Phillip Island aquatic centre on the backburner for another 15-20 years in favour of a $10.6 million rebuilding and extension of the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Wonthaggi to meet the shire’s needs.

It was a crushing blow for Mr Turner's committee, which has worked for almost 20 years to get a public pool on the island. 
“I know in Leongatha they started campaigning for a pool in 1925 and it was 1949 before they got their pool. That was an outdoor pool and now they have a beautiful indoor pool.” 
Don Turner, president of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre
Leongatha got its first public pool in the late 1940s. Wonthaggi got its pool in the early 1970s after the community raised $40,000 in a couple of years. Korumburra, Mirboo North, Foster all followed. Even Poowong, population 610 at the 2011 census, has a swimming pool. But somehow Phillip Island’s efforts have always floundered.

Rather than spit the dummy, the committee regrouped last year and have worked hard since then to overcome the obstacles to a pool and to shorten the time frame.

Their perseverance paid off in September when councillors unanimously backed a proposal to investigate funding and construction options for a pool in Cowes.They voted to use $75,000 from the design budget for the Wonthaggi pool for a study to assess the financial viability of operating two aquatic centres in the shire, funding options and delivery models, including a private public partnership under which a company would build, own and operate a centre. 

The aquatic centre committee made a detailed submission in February. Meanwhile, a working group has identified a council-owned site next to the Phillip Island Leisure Centre in Cowes as a potential site for a new pool. 

At their meeting on May 21, councillors will consider the financial report and the results of a survey of residents on whether the community would be prepared to pay for a second pool.

Next month, the council is expected to release a master plan for the use of land purchased on Ventnor Road for recreation and sports facilities

Mr Turner says everything is coming together at last. “Our submission has been very well received by the council. The community support not only on Phillip Island but throughout the shire has been overwhelming.”

He says they have tried to avoid the hostility, anger and even threats that characterised two recent polarising debates within the shire: about dogs on beaches; and a Cape Paterson special charge scheme. 

“We have tried to be more constructive, more rational. We have talked to councillors and tried to convince them. I reckon we’re pretty close to getting four councillors to support it.”

Most of the funds raised for a pool over the past 20 years have gone on feasibility studies and consultancy reports, but there’s about $70,000 in the chest. 

Once they get the nod – “whether that’s two months or 15 years” – the committee will start looking for donations and financial support from organisations such as Bendigo Bank. 

Mr Turner says they’ll be aiming to raise up to $1.5 million from the community, and he doesn’t think that will be too difficult given the number of wealthy people who holiday or have business interests on the island. 

What about Phillip island race track owner Lindsay Fox?

“We have approached Mr Fox recently, and he said he’s not interested at the moment because he’s fully committed. Lindsay Fox is on the backburner as far as we’re concerned.”

Lack of progress on getting a pool has been one of the major drivers of the discontent behind the Phillip Island Stand Alone campaign. Asked if getting a swimming pool would be easier if Phillip Island went it alone, Mr Turner is circumspect.

“We hope to pursue it through the current council but we’ll work with whoever is around. And we’ll work with the federal and state governments whether they’re Coalition or Labor.”