PLANS to establish a Regional  Aquatic Centre inGawler are “still a priority” according to mayor Karen Redman, despite a Gawler Council report recommending to pull the plug on the project, in the immediate future, due to a lack of available Federal Government funding.
The estimated $23 million redevelopment was touted in the council’s 2019 Gawler Invest Prospectus – a document detailing the 10 most important initiatives in Gawler requiring external investment to complete – as a necessity to help relieve strain on the ageing Gawler Aquatic Centre.
Council hoped the development of the new facility would be aided by a Federal Government grant.
However, a report by council’s special projects officer, Tara Shillabeer, which was noted by elected members at a meeting last Tuesday night, advised the project should not be pursued presently due to the significant stress it would place on council’s finances.
“The maximum grant amount available under the Regional Growth Fund’s competitive pool is $5 million,” she stated.
“If successful in a funding bid, council would need to provide the additional $18 million to deliver the project.
“This is a significant investment that would put extreme pressure on council’s Net Financial Liabilities ratio at this point.
“Whilst council staff consider this project as an excellent opportunity for investment, it is not recommended as one to pursue at this point due to the level of financial and organisation resource capacity that delivery would require.”
Speaking to The Bunyip on Friday, Ms Redman said Gawler Council had put no timeline on starting or finishing the project, insisting it had not been “put on the backburner” and that the immediate focus was to pay down council’s existing debt.
“It’s still our number one priority, and we’ll look for opportunities, but we’ve got to get ourselves ready, and we’re not quite ready for such a big project,” she said.
“The Federal Government might come in and say ‘we’re ready to fund community infrastructure, you don’t need to match the funds’.
“If the funding came along, then we’re ready to go.
“But when you have to match funds, that’s $11.5 million (council would need for a $23 million project) and we’re only a $30 million budget.”
A 2017 report to council, titled ‘Gawler Aquatic Centre Needs and Feasibility Analysis’,
found the “current facility will be unable to cope with predicted increased demand that will come as the population grows both within and adjacent to Gawler”.
“The Gawler Aquatic Centre is also an ageing facility that needs significant ongoing
investment by council to maintain and operate,” it stated.
“As the regional centre for the lower Mid North and northern peri-urban areas, Gawler is the ideal location for a modern and world class Regional Aquatic, Health and Leisure Centre.”
In April, council received almost $410,000 in grant money from the Sport Australia Community Sport and Infrastructure program to overhaul the change rooms at the Gawler Aquatic Centre, with council contributing an additional $130,000.