Geelong council has approved the concept design of stage two of the North Bellarine Aquatic Centre.
As stage one almost ready to open, with the outdoor, eight lane 50-metre pool now filled with water, stage two is focused on the indoor component of the aquatic centre.
After plenty of community engagement and passionate discussion around what the aquatic centre should include, the project’s Community Advisory Panel reached a consensus with Scenario I, the ninth of nine proposed concepts, at its final meeting on July 5.
Scenario I includes such features as an indoor, eight lane, 25-metre pool, a warm water pool and health and wellness facilities, including a gym and group fitness areas.
Stage two has a budget of $40 million, with Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker pledging half that figure and State Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant committing the other half.
Scenario I exceeds that budget by $300,000, but the City has proposed that the “additional capital expense can be managed through the detailed design phase and internal project efficiency and prioritisation measures”.
Councillors unanimously approved the concept design at Tuesday night’s meeting, with Geelong mayor and Bellarine Ward councillor Trent Sullivan thanking the community, council officers, the advisory panel, his fellow councillors and local MPs Marchant and Coker.
“(It) has been a dream for many, many decades for the Bellarine to have a full aquatic centre, that people don’t have to go all the way to Geelong to have full access to our aquatic services,” Mayor Sullivan said.
“A lot of great work’s happened over a long time to get to where we are now. It’s a tremendous job and it shows a lot of good will.
“I just can’t wait to see the ball rolling, and the community can’t wait to see the final outcome as well.”
Councillor Stephanie Asher, who kickstarted the project during her time as mayor, congratulated the Bellarine community.
“This has been a very long time coming. Thank you to the panel… (for coming) up with a facility that really does try and meet the needs of everybody in the community; well done to everybody concerned.”
