Part of the Cowes Cultural and Civic Precinct has been selected as the suitable site for the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre.

The Bass Coast Shire Council-owned land was identified in the Cowes Activity Centre Plan adopted in June, and was then selected by the Phillip Island Aquatic Working Group as the preferred site.

Working Group Chair, Cr Bradley Drew, said the Group had used the Site Selection Process outlined in the Bass Coast Aquatic Strategy to determine the most suitable site for future development of the aquatic facility.

“Since the Bass Coast Aquatic Strategy was adopted by Council at the June meeting, it’s been a busy time for the Group undertaking the Site Selection Process,” Cr Drew said.

“We assessed four sites - Phillip Island Recreation Reserve, CA79 Hilton Chadwick Reserve, the Newhaven College site, and of course the site identified in the adopted Cowes Activity Centre Plan that was eventually chosen.”

The following Site Selection Criteria were used to assist in identifying the preferred site:

• Site area available for development
  
  
• Land ownership
  
  
• Any conditions of use
  
  
• Available site services and their capacities
  
  
• Town planning and neighbourhood impacts information
  
  
• Capacity for partnership funding/development
  
  

Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc Secretary and member of the Working Group, Peter McMahon, said the group is looking forward to working on the concept plan for the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre this financial year.

“Once completed, the concept plan will open up the opportunities to secure State and Federal Funding in the future,” Mr McMahon said.

The Phillip Island Aquatic Working Group meets regularly and consists of membership from Council, the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc, Phillip Island Swim Club, Bass Coast Health, Bass Coast YMCA and Newhaven College.

Cr Bradley Drew remarked he is excited about the opportunity for the proposed Phillip Island Aquatic Centre.

“The proposed centre will add value to the civic precinct that will, subject to successfully securing funding, include a redeveloped civic precinct, future transport hub, and the proposed new Phillip Island Health and Medical Hub,” Cr Drew commented.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to reactivate Cowes between Church and Chapel Street.”

Community input into the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre will be part of the concept design phase which will be undertaken in the 2015/16 financial year.

It was expected that at tonight’s Council Meeting, the proposed location for the construction of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre would be voted on. However, Council have chosen to make a Media Release announcement instead confirming, the location.

The proposed location has been determined by ‘The Phillip Island Aquatic Working Group’ using the rigorous selection criteria contained within the Bass Coast Aquatic Strategy. The location is on Council owned land behind the Cultural Centre and will share the site with the Medical Hub and others. The Working Group was comprised of Councillors and Council staff, members of the PIACF Inc. and other key interested parties.

The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc is pleased with the proposed outcome and hopes all residents get behind this decision to finally get approval from Council to fund and build our long fought-for Aquatic Centre.

The announcement should not come as a surprise as it was recently suggested by a group of consultants that worked on the Cowes Activity Strategy.

The remaining task of The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Working Group is to determine and scope the first stage of the Aquatic Centre (or, alternatively, whether the Centre should be built in one stage). The PIACF Inc will have more to say about that remaining task in the near future.

Upcoming PIACF Inc Annual General Meeting

Selection of the site for the Aquatic Centre is just another step in the long process of actually getting the Centre built.

Our AGM is about to take place on the 25th August. We are looking for additional assistance with new committee personnel to help drive the building of this centre. Anyone who feels they can constructively contribute to the process will be welcomed on to the Committee. We also invite all other residents to attend our AGM at 7.30pm on the 25th August in the Heritage Centre in Thompson Avenue.

I would also like to remind those who in the past have contributed by way of annual memberships to consider renewing their membership. As a new financial year has begun, we would appreciate your continued membership subscription. The dollar level of our annual membership subscription will be one of the issues to be discussed at the AGM.

You may recall that we are in position of having the ability to raise up to $2 million in funds through the ASF (Australian Sports Foundation) where donations are treated using tax-deductible DGR status, with tax deductibility for individual donors. But we need to continue the effort to raise funds from other sources, including corporate, philanthropists and business. Annual membership subscriptions are also an important contribution.

It is important to emphasise that, with Council agreeing to build two Aquatic Centres within the Shire (the PI Aquatic Centre and redevelopment of the Wonthaggi Centre), they have left it open to which will be built first. It is our conviction that who can raise the funds the quickest, will be a critical determinate of order of priority. Many years ago residents allocated funds for bricks, this money and records still remain active today and will form some part of the construction.

Our real work is about to begin, WE NEED YOUR HELP; if there is anything you feel you or your company could do to help build the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre please let us know.

Yes, with the announcement of a proposed location for the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre. We have taken a huge step forward. The long awaited Phillip Island Aquatic Centre is going to be built in our lifetime!

As everyone should be aware, the Bass Coast Shire Council has passed a motion to build two Aquatic Centres in the Shire, and we have been working with them to agree on a site. We would love all intertesed memebers of the public to come along to the AGM and hear exactly where Council intends to build our Centre.

The AGM is on Tuesday 25th August 2015 at 7.30pm in The Heritage Centre, 89 Thompson Ave. Cowes.

You should also be aware That the PIACF committee has obtained access to a Donation Gift Recipient fund to accept tax free donations. This will help speed up the fund raising to allow our pool to be built sooner rather than later.

If you would like to be involved in building the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre, please join the committee or become a member. You can contact the Secretary on 0418 533 256 for committee enquiries and can download a membership form from this website. Forms will also be available at the AGM. Membership subscriptions are currently due for renewal for 2015 — 2016.