Game on at Leisure Time Centre after six years

A SIX-year wait from the Winchelsea community for access to the Leisure Time Centre (LTC) appears to have come to an end, after the Surf Coast Shire announced the conclusion of repair works to the town’s only hard floor sporting facility.

Since the floor buckled in 2017 due to dampness that in turn pushed out a concrete wall, the facility located on the grounds of Winchelsea Primary School has remained closed while authorities grappled over who was ultimately responsible for its repair and share of costs.

After a community petition of more than 620 signatures was handed to the shire in July 2021 urging it to fix the centre, the shire publicly released an engineering report commissioned by the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) that estimated the repairs at $353,722, with a cost split of 30 per cent to the shire and 70 to the school.

“I am pleased to advise that the Victorian School Building Authority has completed all rectification works on the Winchelsea Leisure Time Centre,” Cr Adrian Schonfelder said.
“The building has now been handed back to the Winchelsea Primary School and I can’t wait to see the Winchelsea community making use of this important multi-purpose space in January 2023.”

The latest works on the centre, which was built in the 1970s, included under flooring ventilation, a concrete apron and improved drainage around the facility, improved guttering and works to the roof as well as repairs to the timber flooring.

Although the LTC is owned by the Department of Education, the shire is responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the facility, while the school handles bookings.

“We understand how much the Leisure Time Centre means to the Winchelsea community and it’s good to be able to celebrate this space once again with community gatherings, basketball games and school concerts,” Cr Schonfelder said.