Still no Phillip Island Aquatic Centre

THE Bass Coast Shire Council continues to disappoint the Phillip Island community by removing Aquatics from the Ten-Year Financial Plan, and removing Aquatics from the Advocacy Strategy, which is the means by which Council advocates for grants from State and Federal governments.

Recently Yarra Leisure, the Council-managed Leisure Centres in the City of Yarra, commissioned a consulting group ActiveXchange to examine the Social Value of operating their three Aquatic and Leisure Centres – Fitzroy Swimming Pool, Richmond Recreation Centre and Collingwood Leisure Centre.

Their modelling estimates that across the three centres, the average Social Value in the last Financial Year was $5.07 million. Benefits examined included Mental Health, Chronic or Dementia programs and Learn To Swim.

So, if you consider these Social Value benefits per year, multiplied over the life of the facility, it seems clear that it is cheaper to build and operate these facilities, than to say ‘Nothing To See Here’.

It is unfortunate that while our Shire reported in last year’s Annual Report it cost ratepayers $1.845 million to operate our recreation and aquatics, they are currently tendering for a future 
organisation to operate them. Why can’t our Shire look at other alternatives, just like the City of Yarra?

Have you seen the Cowes Recreation Reserve Football/Cricket ground recently? It looks like a mangy dog. If it was my dog, I’d have it put down. In the past year or so Council spent hundreds of thousands of our rates improving the playing surface. It came up a treat. Now, because of the success of the Football/Netball club in recruiting new members, across all ages and with both male and female teams, the grass is worn out. Solution – develop a new oval at the land allocated – CA79. It’s a no brainer.

Don Turner, San Remo