A big crowd turned out at the Bass Coast Shire Council meeting on Wednesday, October 15 at which a veritable “library of planning and reporting documents” was presented to council for adoption.

However, while Mayor Cr Rochelle Halstead lauded the achievements for a “vibrant community” in the annual report 2024-24 only signed off on by the Victorian Auditor General’s Office at 5pm on Tuesday night, October 14, many of them were probably there to hear discussion on the future of the Phillip Island’s aquatic centre,

Quite a few others were also there to hear about the shire's new Domestic Animal Management Plan and as many as a dozen people left after the new DAMP was approved. Others wanted to hear the fate of holistic health and wellness retreat proposed in a Low-Density Residential Zone in Lyall Street, Ventnor with some objectors leaving disappointed when council unanimously supported the use application.

But many stayed for the remainder of the meeting including the pool discussions.

When council published its meeting agenda and associated reports last Friday afternoon, it foreshadowed dropping its two-aquatic centre policy in favour of backing Wonthaggi’s proposed aquatic centre as the number one priority.

However, while the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre is still listed on the shire’s Long Term Financial Plan for “future years” beyond 2035, the shire council has already committed $500,000 in the current budget for new design works at Wonthaggi and projected a further $500,000 next year, but hasn’t made a similar commitment to redesign works for Phillip Island.

A claim made by Cr Ron Bauer at the meeting that the Phillip Island project remains “shovel ready” for funding doesn’t appear to be supported by reports tabled at this week’s meeting.

Cr Bauer told the meeting that listing of the Phillip Island Aquatic Centre in the Long Term Financial Plan, albeit as an addendum, remained crucial, and meant that the project would still get advocacy support from council as required.

At Wednesday’s meeting it was noted that a Bass Coast Shire Council deputation attended State Parliament on Tuesday to continue to advocate for Bass Coast projects.

But later in the meeting, several councillors said that trying to assemble upwards of $90 million for two projects had already proved to be a failed strategy.

The council will now have Wonthaggi's aquatic centre at the top of its advocacy list, allowing it to also pursue funding for new sports ovals and other facilities at the Hilton Chadwick reserve, but only going after funding for a Phillip Island Aquatic Centre once the Wonthaggi project was completed.