Liberals pledge indoor pool for Torquay

POLWARTH Liberal MP Richard Riordan says it is “folly” for the main pool at the Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre to be outdoors, and has pledged to work with the Surf Coast Shire to make it an indoor pool if he wins the seat and the Liberals win government.

The centre, slated to be built in Torquay North, is presently scoped to include a 25-metre outdoor pool, two warm water indoor pools, a gym and multi-purpose program rooms, allied health and office suites, and meeting rooms for community organisations.

Mr Riordan said he had already asked the shire to redraw the existing specifications for the centre to “deliver the indoor pool the community wants”.

 

“There’s large parts of the current plan I don’t agree with, and I will ask the shire to rework that plan, minus the excessive amount of space to community health spaces; it doesn’t need it.

“The ratepayers of the Surf Coast should not be subsidising and topping up the requirements that are going to be be built next door at the Torquay Community Hospital.

“It doesn’t make sense to be spending a huge amount of taxpayers’ money there to then replicate the services here.

“Similar centres demonstrate only a small amount of space is required for practitioners because they’ll essentially be in the pool, they don’t need consulting rooms and waiting rooms.

“I have also made it clear to the shire, having been on a health board for 16 years, doctor’s services and health professional services will be predominantly provided here by Barwon Health, they make very poor tenants; they won’t be paying that much.”

He said nothing precluded the pool eventually being extended to 50 metres, but there were now “severe limits on the growth of Torquay”, which would restrict the shire’s ability to raise revenue to build and operate a 50-metre facility.

“Already the business case for this heavily relies on patronage from the City of Greater Geelong; Armstrong Creek.

“If the city wants to go in partnership [with the shire] and subsidise it, you could build a 50-metre pool straight away, but the Surf Coast Shire haven’t been willing to have those conversations and I think they should.

“It seems a nonsense to be relying heavily on the patronage of another municipality and for the ratepayers here to subsidise it.

“At the end of the day, it has to be a prudent decision.”

The project has more than $42 million in local, state and federal funds already attached to it and needs another $4.5 million to be fully realised at its present scope.

Despite the progress made so far, including the awarding of a detailed design tender and the release of concept images, Mr Riordan said rescoping the Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre again was entirely possible.

“At this stage, the [Labor] government’s come out and supported the 25-metre outdoor pool, the shire continiues to push that, and it’s a folly.

“The reality is that in our climate, an outdoor pool will have very, very minimal use, and to spend all that money and only end up with that seems a great missed opportunity.”