Celebrating the Bellarine

AT OUR Council meeting last month my newest colleague, Councillor Sarah Hathway, declared her ward was the best in Greater Geelong.

It showed her passion for the northern suburbs, but I could not help but state my own view that my ward, the Bellarine, was in fact the best in our municipality.

Friendly rivalries aside, the point I intended on making was that the Bellarine is a place I have always loved and the biggest reason for this is the people who make up the Bellarine community.

Yes, we have incredible beaches and wineries, some amazing nature reserves and a growing food and wine scene, but it is the people who make the Bellarine what it is.

This was quite evident throughout stage two of the design process for the North Bellarine Pool.

A lot of detailed and thoughtful work, especially at community level, went into developing the approved concept, and I want to thank the 12-member Community Advisory Panel for its valuable contribution to the finalised design.

The panel included people with specialist swimming and aquatics knowledge, those with a lived experience of disability and representatives from local schools, community groups and sports clubs.

Their work was vital in ensuring that the stage two offering will meet the needs of the wider community, and showed yet again that the best results for grassroots infrastructure projects can often be achieved when local people are consulted.

It has been fantastic to see the positive progress on the new aquatic centre in Drysdale, and the first stage of the major development is almost ready to open.

Council approved the concept designs for the second stage of the North Bellarine Aquatic Centre last month, and some of the key features include an indoor aquatic centre, an eight-lane 25-metre pool, a warm water pool, an aqua play area and a hydrotherapy.

We are also making strong inroads on the indoor facilities that will follow.

But as we have shown, by working together across all levels of government, we are creating a lasting and well-considered facility that will serve the Drysdale community for many years to come.

I say this because stage two has been supported by $20 million each from the Victorian and Australian governments.

This comes in addition to the first stage of the project – a $15.5 million development supported by $10m from the Australian Government and $5.5m from Council.

As we have outlined previously, this will deliver an outdoor 50-metre, eight-lane heated pool, which is set to open later this year.

There are many major projects happening in Greater Geelong, and a lot of investment at all levels of government in the region.

It is so pleasing to see the Bellarine people as the beneficiaries of some of this investment, and more pleasing still to know that their input has shaped the way this project in particular will be completed.

So again, I say thank you, and I look forward to seeing works commence on this stage in the months to come.

Cr Jim Mason

Bellarine Ward, City of Greater Geelong