HUNDREDS of signatures are being added to a petition calling for an aquatic centre at Rosebud.
Pressure for a pool follows Mornington Peninsula Shire’s abandonment in 2014 of its long-held plans for an aquatic centre on the foreshore at Rosebud.
After commissioning architect drawings for the foreshore complex the shire spent $5.1 million buying shops and commercial land in Wannaeue Place as an alternative site. The commercial land is next to Rosebud library.
Councillors have been told this week that there are now 1736 signatures on a petition calling for an aquatic centre at Rosebud, 442 more than when it was first tabled on 26 April. The centre was also one of the major “topics” resulting from the shire Your Peninsula 2012 survey.
“The new council has indicated it will consider the options available for an aquatic centre in Rosebud and recently received a briefing on the work undertaken on this project previously,” facilities planning team leader Michael Scully reports on the shire’s Tuesday 23 May council meeting agenda.
“Following on-going consultation between officers and the council in the coming weeks, more details will be released to the community.”
Development of the pool may also be tied to plans for extending public health care on the southern peninsula.
A community meeting in March formed an action group and voted to bring the “need for an aquatic centre to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s attention”.
Organiser Betty Preston said she had been “sweating on a new council after the issue became toxic under the former council”.
“There was no point doing anything until the new council was elected.”
Ms Preston said the aquatic centre would be a community service “much needed by residents and tourists”.
Forums, surveys, site inspections and feasibility studies have been held to select a site for a southern peninsula aquatic centre since 1999.
“It would have to be a multi-faceted complex with a full size pool, toddlers’ pool, hydro pool as well as adequate parking, transport and lighting,” Ms Preston said.
“The site for the aquatic centre will always be controversial, but we don’t care where it goes – just that the council gets on with it.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 23 May 2017
