The following article is reproduced from the Phillip Island Advertiser 9.12.15

Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund secretary Peter McMahon is a determined man. He has no doubt that a pool can be achieved on Phillip Island by the Year 2018, a date which marks 150 years since the island was settled, but it will need Council to rethink their current ideas. He is appealing to the community to get behind a pool appeal, and has outlined the positive changes that have eventuated this year which can enable this to happen.

First and foremost, the fact that the Bass Coast Shire Council has at long last approved the construction of a pool on Phillip Island, representing a major shift from their 2014 stance, whereby they decreed council would look at developing a pool on Phillip Island in another fifteen years.
“The situation 18 months ago was that council resolved to build a pool at Wonthaggi, and look at Phillip Island fifteen years hence,” said Peter this week.

Thanks to the dedicated and intensive work being undertaken by Peter and the PIACF committee, that, has now changed. “The current Bass Coast Shire Council resolution is that two Aquatic Centres can be built in the shire. One at Wonthaggi and a second on Phillip Island.”

It remains the case that Phillip Island residents have to raise 50% of the cost of their facility, which Peter estimates overall to be in the vicinity of $10 million. As opposed to the agreed Wonthaggi pool redevelopment, this has a current estimated price tag of $22.5 million, but comes with no similar community contribution rider. Nevertheless, says Peter McMahon, we can do it.

Bass Coast Shire Council has approved a site for a Phillip Island pool, on land behind the Cowes Cultural Centre. “Now that the land has been secured by council resolution, it’s all systems go for us,” Peter said.“We will need to raise $2 million to make it happen. We understand a grant is available from Sport and Recreation Victoria for $ 3 million which means we can do it.That will give us our $5 million.

The PIACF has also established a partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF), which is able to accept donations on behalf of PIACF. All donations made to ASF for PIACF are tax deductible.
The Foundation sources donations from philanthropic organisations. “They have agreed to help us and are very much on side,” Peter McMahon comments. “This group raised $24 million for sporting groups in Australia last year.”

PIAFC will be seeking community support over summer, and are soon to launch a fund raising program. “For the first time in the 20 years this community has been working to build a pool, there is now a real chance of us achieving this facility by 2018,” he says. “We very much want it to coincide with the island’s 150th celebrations.” And here’s a thought, he adds.“If 20,000 people donated just $100 each, we would have our $2 million in a heartbeat.’

Full details of the partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation are contained in a PIACF advertisement in this edition.To donate, go to the Australian Sports Foundation website, and click on to the Phillip Island project pointer. For further information and a question and answer format page, go to www.piac.org.au

We can do it, a very enthusiastic Peter advises. Many of the obstacles faced at the council level for the last decade have all now been cleared. “We’re on the way. Come with us.”

PIACF will publish a regular column in the Advertiser in 2016, keeping the community closely informed, and showing the progress of the PIAFC quest to raise $2 million.
 
 

The Management Committee of PIACF Inc. would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know where we are since holding the recent AGM.

Firstly we are awaiting a letter from Council which will allow us the opportunity to establish a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) fund that will be able to accept tax deductible donations. We hope this will happen over the next week or so.

Secondly at last Wednesdays (17th Sept) Council Meeting, we were pleasantly surprised to hear of a communication to Mayor Neil Rankine from Hon Greg Hunt MHR, of the possibility of funds from the Federal Government which could be used for the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre.

Several questions were asked and answered of the CEO exactly what this would mean for Council; his answers surprised and delighted those in the gallery. This is for use in relation to Phillip Island and the answer from the CEO went along these lines, what does it mean, well we need to develop plans and specs for the Centre let’s say it cost $15mil, the three levels of Government would pay 33% each ($5mil), does that mean Council would borrow their share? Yes and it would be combined with whatever fund this group had at the time.

This is in complete contrast of earlier Council thinking and passed Council Motions which should give all of us heart, that there may be an end in sight for our long awaited Aquatic Centre.

As at the AGM we outlined under the information we had at the time, if Ratepayers on Phillip Island and San Remo each gave over the next two years $208.00 and if the centre we were considering cost $8mil, we could build an Aquatic Centre within the next three years under the conditions outlined from Council.

As Secretary of PIACF I have been able to discover more about Greg Hunts communiqué, it apparently suggest the National Stronger Regions Fund could be the vehicle to obtain the funding, however it doesn’t start until 2015-16 and will run for the next five years.

We firmly believe we still need to push on with the development of plans and location for the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre while establishing the DGR Fund; these things will allow our centre every opportunity to succeed.

We ask all of you if you can either become a financial member or maybe even join the many who have purchased a foundation brick for either $50 for a single or $150 for a family, or you may wish to just donate, please come forward. For those of you who want to wait until the DGR Fund is set up we will make sure we announce it as soon as we can.

An end is in sight, come and join and be part of this exciting venture.

Peter McMahon               Secretary

Where is the equity in Council’s approach to the provision of Aquatic Centres in Bass Coast Shire?
No doubt Phillip Island ratepayers will be aware of Bass Coast Shire Council’s recent resolution to proceed with the upgrade of the Wonthaggi Aquatic Centre at an estimated total cost of $14.5 million (in a two stage process).  No doubt ratepayers will also be aware that, at the same Council Meeting, the Council also resolved that an Aquatic Centre was also justified for Phillip Island, at an estimated total cost of $10.7 million (in an, as yet to be determined, multi staged process).

For the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre, Council resolved that the Phillip Island community would be required to raise 50% of the funds to pay for the costs of each of the stages, and all funds raised had to be in cash.  That is, no in-kind donations e.g. no discounted earthworks, nor voluntary labour, could be counted in the 50%.

For the upgrade of the Wonthaggi Aquatic Centre, no such 50% funding requirement was placed on the Wonthaggi (and surrounding) area.  On face value, that seems to be an inequitable treatment of the Phillip Island community. That different approach seemed to be based on the Council’s presumption that no contributions to funding were required for the redevelopment because Wonthaggi residents had built the existing Aquatic Centre solely from community funds.

But, the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Incorporated has recently exhaustively researched documents and newspaper reports relating to the building of the existing Wonthaggi Aquatic Centre and found that Council’s presumption is seriously flawed. 

The existing Wonthaggi Aquatic Centre was started to be built in 1978 at a total cost of $475,000 (which translates to $2.4 million in 2014 dollars).  That cost in 1978 was funded by a mix of voluntary labour, State government funds and fundraising by the then Borough of Wonthaggi, Shire of Phillip Island and Woolamai, Shire of Bass and parts of the City of Cranbourne, Shires of Korumburra and Woorayl.    That is, the State government, voluntary labour and all Boroughs in the current Shire made contributions to funding the Aquatic Centre; the Borough of Wonthaggi did not do it alone.
Phillip Island currently contributes 48% of all rate revenue in the Shire.  And since Council amalgamations in 1994 has contributed more than its population share to funding the operating deficit of the existing Aquatic Centre (currently running at a massive $391,000 per year).  And, through its rates, Phillip Island will also significantly contribute to the costs of the redevelopment.

If Council desired to treat the Phillip Island community equally with the Wonthaggi (and surrounding) area, it would require the Wonthaggi area to also raise 50% of the staged costs of the redevelopment of the existing Wonthaggi Aquatic Centre – that is an amount of $7.2 million.  Being very generous, that amount could be discounted by the $2.4 million present day cost of the existing Aquatic Centre, i.e. a net $4.8 million would be required to be raised locally - by a similar fund to that which Council has insisted that the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund set up.  That treatment would be very generous to Wonthaggi residents, given that they did not raise all the original $475,000 alone.   
We are at a loss to understand how the logic of the above argument is not obvious even to Bass Coast Shire Councillors. 

The current proposal by the Shire would see Phillip Island ratepayers and residents funding – through the $5.3 million Phillip Island Aquatic Centre funding target set by the Shire and through its rates - $13.5 million of the $25.3 million total cost of the two Aquatic Centres (that is 53.3%).  The balance of funding is proposed to be provided by anticipated State government funds of $3.0 million (11.9%) and Wonthaggi and the rest of the Shire funding only $8.8 million (34.8%) through rates only.  Councillors need to explain to all ratepayers of Bass Coast Shire how that is fair. 

We also wish to say, at this stage we believe we can work with Council to bring about a better outcome than that that has been proposed. Currently neither Centre, has a detailed and comprehensive set of plans or costing and feel, it appropriate once they are designed, all ratepayers should have the opportunity to accept and acknowledge their approval.

The fund has many questions that we wish to raise with Council and look forward to having the opportunity to clarify them during the next twelve months.

Peter McMahon
Secretary P.I.A.C.F. Inc.

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

You may or maybe not be aware that Council decided to conduct another feasibility study to ascertain whether they should build TWO Aquatic Centres in the Shire.

This is to be conducted by a consultant and should clarify the possibility of rebuilding the existing Bass Coast Centre in Wonthaggi and also a new centre on Phillip Island.

The feasibility study is to gauge your support for an additional charge on your rates.

The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund would like you to consider two issues before giving your response.

Firstly, as Phillip Island is the biggest contributor to Rates and Tourism to Council and the State and Federal governments, why can’t we have an Aquatic Centre on the Island?

We have been trying for 22 years to provide a centre to teach children to swim, and we also want to provide the elderly and physically disabled the potential health benefits of Hydrotherapy facilities.

Secondly, during our 22 years of voluntary committees coupled with many feasibility studies, Council has not been prepared to consider how a joint funding or partnership arrangement could achieve our goal.

Any additional charge on rates will not fund these centres in full; the charge will go into a combined fund consisting of State and Federal funding along with any additional money that can be sourced.

Councillor Rankine asked last year how committed Phillip Island people were to the centre so “The Advertiser” ran a survey in July 2013.

The results are 99.9% of replies in the positive, to build a centre NOW, not as Council wants in 10 – 20 years.

All we are looking for is a committed Council to agree to build a Phillip Island Aquatic centre in the short term.

Once we have this commitment we can start fulfilling our goals of assisting the many children, elderly and physically disabled to achieve better HEALTH outcomes, not just in Wonthaggi but for the entire BASS COAST REGION.

Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc.

The decision of Council on June 19 to go ahead with the immediate redevelopment of the Wonthaggi Aquatic and Leisure Centre, now known as the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre, is greatly disappointing to the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc. (PIAC) Committee

The sixth recommendation that formed part of the motion calls for Council to consider an aquatic facility on Phillip Island in the longer term, with 15-20 years suggested as the timeframe.

This effectively means that the ground work done so far, in researching world’s best practice in pool design and energy efficiency, feasibility studies and establishing relationships, will largely be wasted. The time commitment by Colin Grey and other past and present committee members has been enormous.

PIAC President, Don Turner said, “It’s like a life sentence. Families that have been travelling from Phillip Island to Wonthaggi all these years will have to wait nearly another generation before we get our own pool.”

“The Phillip Island community deserves better than to be regarded as second class. Surrounding local government areas have been able to support multiple aquatic facilities, to the benefit of their communities. The health and lifestyle benefits of having a local facility are enormous. However, it seems that it is seen as a liability rather than a community asset.”

“Living on an island, it is vital that we all can swim confidently and competently, to be able to fully enjoy the water sports on our back doorstep. But apart from Cowes Primary School, the schools struggle to operate effective aquatic programs, due to access,” Don said.

To his credit, Cr. Phil Wright tried four times to convince Councillors that the estimated $3 million that will be required for temporary change rooms etc, to keep the Wonthaggi complex functional while the redevelopment takes place, could be saved if a Phillip Island complex was built first. Then the Wonthaggi complex could be closed for the early redevelopment.

The PIAC committee has attempted to re-invigorate the community, but has not had any good news to share with members, as possible funding sources have dried up over the past six or seven years.

Last night the Bass Coast Shire Council voted to support the six recommendations listed below. Voting for the motion were Crs. Le Serve, Drew, Rankine and Crugnale. Voting against were Crs Wright, Phillips and Brown.

Cr. Wright had moved an amendment, being the last three recommendations. He argued that if a pool was built first on Phillip Island, then $3M could be saved by closing the Wonthaggi Centre while it was being rebuilt. He tried four times to convince Councillors that this money could be saved. The amendment was lost.

The sixth recommendation makes a pool on the Cowes Recreation Land a long way into the future.


Recommendation

That Council:

1. Rename the Wonthaggi Aquatic and Leisure Centre the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

2. Proceed with the detailed design for the aquatic facilities located at the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre paying particular attention to how the facility would be staged and funded over a number of years.

3. Adopt the Swimming Australia recommendation that the design of the Bass Coast Aquatic facilities include a 10 lane 25metres pool.

4. Investigate short term options to improve access to existing facilities and the potential for improved facilities on Phillip Island in the medium term including investigating;

-the potential to incorporate hydrotherapy at the proposed Integrated Primary Health Care Centre or at the Cowes Leisure Centre

-options to utilise the Cowes Primary school pool

-improving public transport to provide access to the Bass Coast Aquatic Centre

-the potential to access existing private facilities on Phillip Island

5. Establish a working group to assist with the investigations identified above comprising of;

Councillors

Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Committee

Phillip Island Swim Club

Health Service Providers

YMCA

Education Department

Council Officers (providing administrative support)

6. Consider the development of an additional aquatic facility in Bass Coast in the longer term (15-20 years) at the recently purchased Cowes Recreation land (formerly Crown Allotment 79)

Phillip Island has rich attributes that enhance our lifestyle and contribute to the wellbeing of community members and visitors. Our natural environment plus our major events contribute $150 million annually to the Victorian economy.

The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Committee has commissioned several Feasibility Studies that have all demonstrated huge community support for the construction of an aquatic centre on the island.

However, our membership has been shrinking. We are embarking on a membership drive, aiming to have 2000 members of the fund by October 2013.  A strong membership base is evidence of community support and this is an essential key to access funding opportunities.

Your committee has been working in the background for 17 years now. We have a lease on a site at the Adventure Resort. We have also put our hand up for the Recreational Land in Cowes
recently acquired by the Bass Coast Shire Council. A third site is also a possibility.

We have been meeting regularly with Councillors and Council officers to identify how we can work with all three levels of government to achieve our aim.

The committee has developed a model for a 25 metre pool with hydrotherapy facilities, based on world’s best practice for pool construction and energy efficient operating techniques and partnerships with high-tech organisations have been established. Please visit our website for more
information.

Although funding sources in the near future are not evident, the committee has to be as ready as possible to capitalise on any opportunities that may arise.

We need you to show your support through your membership.

EMAIL :  info@piac.org.au

MEMBERSHIP FORMS available on the website and at these locations :

Phillip Island Advertiser                              Suite 2, 60 Chapel Street, Cowes
Turn the Page bookshop                             40a Thompson Avenue, Cowes
Coastal View Financial Services                  6/156 Thompson Avenue, Cowes
Gippsland Physiotherapy Group                  1/15 Warley Avenue, Cowes

The Phillip Island Aquatic Centre Fund Inc. shares with the community the frustration at not being able to access funding to build an indoor aquatic centre on Phillip Island. The recent funding round of the Australian Regional Development Fund had hurdles in place that excluded us from applying.

The Committee is now pursuing alternative ways of funding the project, rather than relying solely on grants from the three layers of government.

We have expressed interest in the land recently secured by Bass Coast Shire Council at the corner of Ventnor Rd. and Phillip Island Tourist Rd. Other sites may be considered if they present themselves as viable options.

We have been active in identifying state-of-the-art technologies for the construction and operation of the project. For example, committee member, Colin Grey, has been working with experts from Melbourne University and the state government with respect to geo-thermal power to heat the water for the pool.

“Geo-thermal is not only clean, it has the capacity to reduce heating costs by up to 50%, compared with LPG” said Colin.

A Working Party, consisting of Bass Coast Shire Councillors, Council staff and PIAC committee members, has been meeting on a regular basis since September last year. Discussions have been positive, and will continue into the future, with a view to making some recommendations to Council.

Meanwhile, it is important that community members continue to show their support by maintaining their membership, or joining/rejoining the Fund.

“This is a numbers game: the Feasibility Study PIAC commissioned demonstrated the facility will be well utilised, but the community must continue to support the pool by staying passionate about the cause”, said Don Turner, Acting PIAC President. He can be contacted on 0409 856 053.

PIAC membership applications can be found at:

·         On this website

·         Gippsland Physiotherapy Group, 1/15 Warley Ave Cowes;

·         Coastal View Financial Services, 6/156 Thompson Ave, Cowes;

·         Turn The Page Bookshop, 40a Thompson Ave, Cowes