BETTER accessibility is set to be delivered for the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre thanks to funding between the State Government and the City of Ballarat.<\/p>\n
Nearly $1 million is being supplied with almost $750,000 through the former’s Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund and the remainder through the municipality.<\/p>\n
Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, announced the development at the site on Tuesday morning and said it will make the facilities, particularly its changerooms, more inclusive for the disabled community.<\/p>\n
“A lot of us don’t really think about changerooms,” she said. “For a lot of people in our community, that is not their reality.<\/p>\n
“Whether it be the wonderful staff and students at the Ballarat Specialist School who I know love [coming here,] it is really challenging if the facilities are not fit for purpose.”<\/p>\n
The upgrades are set to boast two new Changing Places-compliant facilities, three sensory friendly change rooms, as well as automated door functions for the current facilities, main entrance, and the centre’s cafe.<\/p>\n
Mayor, Cr Des Hudson estimated around 670,000 people visited the site last year.<\/p>\n
The municipality’s disability advisory committee were part of formulating the project, which included consultation with centre users as well as groups like Pinarc Disability Support and the Ballarat Autism Network.<\/p>\n
“The inception for this project came from people with lived experience,” said the centre’s aquatic and leisure services manager Gerald Dixon.<\/p>\n
“[It was] by us going and asking the question what’s your experience with the aquatic centre and what would you like to see us do?<\/p>\n
“The feedback initially wasn’t great, and one of the things identified was changing rooms. Not only were they in a poor state but people couldn’t access them.<\/p>\n
“Each [Changing Places room] will have a hoist and a change table. One is currently designed to have a direct all-access. The rest of our accessible changerooms will have sliding doors.<\/p>\n
“It’s about making sure the experience for all our residents including people with disabilities, is seamless.”<\/p>\n
No due date has been set for the upgrades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BETTER accessibility is set to be delivered for the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre thanks to funding between the State Government and the City of Ballarat. Nearly $1 million is being supplied with almost $750,000 through the former’s Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund and the remainder through the municipality. Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, announced […]<\/p>\n