cogg aquatic and leisure infrastructure strategy plan

WARRENGREENCONSULTING

COGG AQUATIC AND LEISURE INFRASTRUCTURESTRATEGY PLAN

JUNE 2017

FINAL REPORT

COGG AQUATIC AND LEISUREINFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY PLANJune 2017

CONTENTS

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Executive Summary........................................................................................................... 11 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 51.1 Project Background................................................................................................. 51.2 CoGG Aquatic and Leisure Centres........................................................................ 51.3 Leisure Services Infrastructure Strategy Plan 2012 ................................................ 62 Planning Context..................................................................................................... 92.1 Relevant Strategies and Plans................................................................................ 92.2 Demographic Information...................................................................................... 102.3 Geelong Health Report ......................................................................................... 122.4 Other Geelong Region Aquatic Facilities .............................................................. 133 Aquatic and Leisure Planning ............................................................................... 153.1 Northern Aquatic Recreation and Community Development – Health and Well

Being Hub ............................................................................................................. 153.2 Preliminary Master Planning ................................................................................. 173.3 Surf Coast Shire.................................................................................................... 174 Aquatic and Leisure Centre Overview................................................................... 194.1 Distance Between Centres ................................................................................... 194.2 Financial Performance and Attendances .............................................................. 194.3 Performance Benchmarking ................................................................................. 204.4 City of Greater Geelong Participation Rates ......................................................... 214.5 Surf Coast Shire Participation Rates..................................................................... 224.6 Facility Review Against Best Practice ................................................................... 224.7 Car Parking Provision ........................................................................................... 235 Consultation.......................................................................................................... 245.1 City of Greater Geelong ........................................................................................ 245.2 Surf Coast Shire.................................................................................................... 255.3 User Survey .......................................................................................................... 266 Industry Research and Trends.............................................................................. 276.1 General Business Drivers ..................................................................................... 276.2 Design Trends....................................................................................................... 286.3 Lifecycle Costing and Renewal ............................................................................. 306.4 Major Redevelopment Learnings .......................................................................... 316.5 Victorian Auditor - General’s Office Audit.............................................................. 33

CONTENTS

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6.6 Other Trends......................................................................................................... 347 Guiding Principles ................................................................................................. 357.1 Framework for Future Development and Operation.............................................. 357.2 Implications of the Guiding Principles ................................................................... 367.3 Findings – Broard Assessment of Guiding Principles ........................................... 378 Detailed Options Assessment ............................................................................... 398.1 BASC.................................................................................................................... 408.2 Leisurelink............................................................................................................. 448.3 Splashdown .......................................................................................................... 528.4 Design Development Options ............................................................................... 548.5 Waterworld............................................................................................................ 568.6 Kardinia Aquatic Centre ........................................................................................ 598.7 Lara Swimming Pool ............................................................................................. 629 Capital Works Program and Financial Projections ................................................ 639.1 Capital Works Program......................................................................................... 639.2 Indicative Financial Projections............................................................................. 6710 Summary and Implications for SCS ...................................................................... 7111 Final Recommendations ....................................................................................... 73Appendix A – Aquatic and Leisure Centre Mapping ........................................................ 74Appendix B – Northern and Western Study Areas .......................................................... 76Appendix C – Growth and Study Area Projections 2036 ................................................. 80Appendix D – CoGG SEIFA Mapping.............................................................................. 83Appendix E – Northern ARC Options .............................................................................. 85Appendix F – BASC Master Plan 2015 ........................................................................... 89Appendix G – Leisurelink Master Plan 2013.................................................................... 92Appendix H – Splashdown Master Plan 2014 ................................................................. 94Appendix I – Distance Between Aquatic and Leisure Centres......................................... 96Appendix J – Torquay Aquatic and Leisure Providers ..................................................... 98Appendix K – Other Industry Trends ............................................................................. 101Appendix L – BASC Alternate (Stadium Relocation Option).......................................... 108Appendix M – BASC Development Probable Costs ...................................................... 110Appendix N – Leisurelink Wintergarden Review............................................................ 112Appendix O – Leisurelink Development Probable Costs ............................................... 134

CONTENTS

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Appendix P – Splashdown Development Probable Costs ............................................. 136Appendix Q – Kardinia Aquatic Centre Development Probable Costs .......................... 138

Aquatic and Leisure Infrastructure Strategy PlanCity of Greater Geelong

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Executive SummaryIn 2012, the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) developed an Aquatic and Leisure CentreInfrastructure Strategy Plan and over the past four years, numerous related projects havebeen actioned as an outcome. However, due to a range of strategic factors such as: futuredemand including population projections, current asset condition and potential service gaps, itwas identified that this Plan now required review in order to provide a realistic and appropriatedirection for the next ten to fifteen years for the Geelong Region including the Surf Coast Shire(SCS) areas near Torquay.

As part of this 2017 review process, an assessment was made of the current performance andfunction of the six existing CoGG aquatic and leisure facilities. These facilities are:

Bellarine Aquatic and Sports Centre (BASC), Leisurelink Aquatic and Recreation Centre(Leisurelink), Splashdown Leisure Centre (Splashdown) and Waterworld Leisure Centre(Waterworld) which operate all year round.

Kardinia Aquatic Centre and Lara Swimming Pool both of which are seasonal, outdoorfacilities.

This assessment highlighted that the facilities are very diverse in performance, condition andservice offerings. As an example, while the six facilities had in excess of 1.9M visitations in2015/16, BASC and Leisurelink combined had over 1.3M visits or close to 70% of totalvisitations while the other two indoor facilities, Splashdown and Waterworld, had a total of480K annual visitations or just 25% of total CoGG facility visits. These visitation levels arealso reflective of the level of usage by residents in surrounding suburbs with high participationrates around BASC and Leisurelink and relatively low participation rates around Splashdownand Waterworld.

A major driver for future aquatic and leisure provision is the projected population growth in theCoGG. It is projected that the 2016 population of 234K will increase to 277K in 2026. This isan increase of 43K with the major growth projected for Armstrong Creek (increase of 10K) andother CoGG areas including: Highton, Lara, Marshall – Charlemont and Mount Duneed (withprojected populations of around 3K or more). The SCS area of Torquay North is alsoprojected to have an increase in population of approximately 3.5K in this period.

An evaluation of the implication on future demand, based on these population projections only,indicates that under a status quo scenario (i.e. visitation patterns remain the same) BASCusage would increase by 24%, Leisurelink by 25%, Splashdown by 11% and Waterworld by9%. As both Leisurelink and BASC have current capacity issues, it is identified that based oncurrent design, they would be unable to accommodate future projected usage demand.

In the longer term, it is noted that the population in the CoGG growth areas is projected toincrease by an estimated total of 95K within the next 25 years while the potential populationincrease for Northern and Western Study Areas is in excess of 110K. As a guide, this totalequates to 47% of the 2016 CoGG population of 234K. Whilst this growth falls outside of theten to fifteen year strategy period, it is still contextually relevant to the planning timeframe.

In undertaking the review of facilities and services at a site-specific level a number of broadthemes relative to the network of facilities were identified. The key findings are as follows:

Facility quality across the network is inconsistent. Leisurelink and BASC are comparablewith industry leading aquatic and leisure facilities. Splashdown and Waterworld howeverare in comparatively poor condition and lack facility elements included in contemporaryaquatic and leisure facilities and aspects of the centres are at the end of effective life andare not consistent with customer expectations.

Provision for people with disabilities and mobility issues are poor across the network.There are issues of non-compliance at a number of centres including non-compliantchange rooms, an inadequate number of change rooms and a lack of compliant accessramps to aquatic spaces. Specifically Splashdown, Waterworld, Kardinia Aquatic Centre


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and Lara Swimming Pool do not comply with disability access requirements of theDisability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010. Further, accessibility withinhealth and fitness areas does not reflect universal design requirements.

The travel analysis undertaken suggests that service provision and accessibility in termsof travel time to the aquatic and leisure centres across the municipality is adequate andthere is no existing need (i.e. within a ten year period) for additional facilities.

Critical to the review of the strategic options, is the consideration of accommodating theprojected Armstrong Creek population and hence any consideration for an additional facility inthe area. Relevant research findings associated with this component of the assessmentinclude: Armstrong Creek is located less than 10km from Leisurelink, current resident usage ofCoGG aquatic and leisure centres is significantly higher than many other CoGG suburbs, thecapital cost of a new facility is projected to be in excess of $30M and Leisurelink has sitecapacity for future expansion. For these reasons it is recommended that Leisurelink be furtherdeveloped to accommodate associated future demand with no new facility developments inthe ten to fifteen year timeframe.

As part of the review process, extensive internal consultation was undertaken to gain insightsinto current strengths and weakness, opportunities and also to develop a decision makingframework to assess potential options. Based on the key findings and consultation withCouncil officers, the following Guiding Principles have been identified to guide the futureprovision and operation of aquatic and leisure infrastructure in the Geelong Region.

Enhancing Community Health, Well-Being and Social Connection.

Equitable Access to Facilities.

Sustaining High Quality Facilities.

Affordable Development and Sustainable Operations.

Maximize the use of Existing and Future Assets.

Major Recommendations

Based on a detailed assessment against these Guiding Principles, the following majorrecommendations are made for the Geelong Region Aquatic and Leisure InfrastructureStrategy.

1. Specific recommended facility developments with priority and costs are as outlined below.

High Priority (Within 10 Years)a. Waterworld Development – a new leisure and aquatic centre as part of the

Northern ARC precinct development.$46.5M

b. Splashdown Redevelopment – DDA compliance, redeveloped health andfitness area, modify 25m pool to three lanes and a new learn to swim pool.

$8.4M

c. Leisurelink Redevelopment – indoor leisure water area, replacement of the50m pool, develop a large multi-purpose program pool and additional changespace.

$23.0M

d. BASC Redevelopment – new warm water pool. $5.3M

Cost – High Priority $83.2MMedium Priority (10 to 15 Years)

e. BASC – expanded health and fitness and administrational areas. $8.6M

f. Kardinia Aquatic Centre – refurbishment and renew.Lara Swimming Pool – renewal.

$5.2M$1.0M

Cost – Medium Priority $14.8M

Table: Recommended Facility Developments


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2. That the SCS assess its future facility options with consideration to the extensive existingprovision, proposed future CoGG provision and other background information researchprovided in this report.

3. It is further recommended that if the SCS is to review future facility development optionsthat extensive community research be firstly undertaken on current communityparticipation levels (including private sector participation), specific need and service gapsin order to understand any future demand requirements. Consulting team note: It is notedthat given the unique circumstances of the SCS and the requirement for a customisedsolution, this research is critical in the decision making associated a significant capitalinvestment.

4. That as part of the planning process for the new Waterworld development a detaileddesign review be undertaken to establish the leisure and aquatic centre component scope.

5. That a more detailed feasibility study be undertaken on the high priority developmentoptions b) Splashdown and c) Leisurelink.

6. That any future provision for the Northern and Western Study Areas be reviewed when itis identified that populations numbers for these areas will exceed 20,000 residents.

Works Planning

The proposed project timeframes associated with the high and potential medium prioritydevelopments are outlined below. It is assumed that the medium priority works items would bereviewed at the later stages of the initial ten year period.

Centre Commence CompleteHigh Priority WorksWaterworld 2017/18 2019/20Splashdown 2019/20 2021/22Leisurelink 2021/22 2024/25BASC (Accessibility) 2024/25 2026/27Medium Priority WorksBASC (Health and Fitness) 2028/29 2029/30Kardinia Aquatic Centre 2029/30 2030/31Lara Swimming Pool 2030/31 2031/32

Table: Recommended Facility Development Timeframes

The associated ten year probable cost allocation for the high priority works totals $83.2M andbased on the above works schedule is proposed as follows:

2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22$2,500,000 $22,500,000 $21,570,000 $602,000 $7,798,000

2022/23 2013/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27$1,770,000 $10,580,000 $10,650,000 $354,000 $4,876,000

Table: Works Planning Probable Cost Allocation

Financial and Attendance Projections

An analysis of the associated financial projections (in current day terms) indicates that whencompared to the 2017/18 budgets for the four high priority developments at Waterworld,Splashdown, Leisurelink and BASC that:

Overall income is projected to increase by 35% from $14.6M to $19.7M.

Overall expenditure is projected to increase by 8% from $18.4M to $20.3M.


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Overall net performance is projected to improve by $3.6M from a deficit of $4.2M to adeficit of $628K.

An analysis of the associated attendances indicates that for the four high prioritydevelopments at Waterworld, Splashdown, Leisurelink and BASC that total visits are projectedto increase from 1.82M in 2015/16 to 2.49M in 2026/27 which is an overall projected increaseof 666K or 36%.


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1 Introduction1.1 Project Background

The City of Greater Geelong (CoGG) developed an Aquatic and Leisure Centre InfrastructureStrategy Plan in 2012 and over the past four years has actioned numerous related projects.This Infrastructure Strategy Plan however now requires review as a result of changingbusiness priorities, revised population changes, differences in Centre performance, ageinginfrastructure and other general factors.

As a result, the recommendations from the 2012 Strategy Plan, discreet planning and otherlocal level planning now needs to be retested and prioritised in preparation of a new ten yearStrategy Development Plan. As part of this review broad consideration is to be given to thefollowing key elements:

The current and changing community needs for the use of aquatic and leisure facilities.

The preventative health needs of the community and how aquatic and leisure facilitieshelp support these needs.

How sport, leisure and recreation facilities can cater for diverse groups.

Aquatic and leisure facility provision trends and existing landscape (i.e. implications of theemergence of low cost gymnasiums and privately owned / schools aquatic facilities).

Council’s role and responsibilities to the community it represents.

Asset management models and maintenance implications.

Contemporary funding models, funding acquisition and partnership opportunities.

Integrated planning, universal design principles, environmental sustainability, land use andother site issues.

1.2 CoGG Aquatic and Leisure CentresThe CoGG owns and operates four major indoor aquatic and leisure centres and two outdoorpools. Mapping of these facilities together with a 5km indicative catchment radius is providedin Appendix A. As background a summary of these Centres is provided below.

Centre OverviewBellarine Aquatic andSports Centre (BASC)

Shell Rd, Ocean Grove

Indoor facility built in 2008 (Original Surfside Community Centre in 1992). 25 metre lap pool, learners pool, toddlers pool and aquatic play activity. Childcare facility and multi purpose room. Small gymnasium and indoor cycle room. Two court stadium. Café, first aid room, staff offices and reception area. Indoor toilets and change facilities.

Kardinia Aquatic Centre

25 Park Cres, SouthGeelong

Outdoor facility built in 1967. Outdoor 50 metre 10 lane FINA pool, 50 metre 8 lane pool, learners pool,

toddlers pool, waterslide, splash pool and diving pool with 1 metre and 3metre dive boards.

Swimming club rooms. Kiosk, first aid room, office and reception area. Outdoor change room and toilet facilities.

Lara Swimming Pool

2 Bank St, Lara

Outdoor pool built in 1963. Outdoor 55 yard pool with L shaped learners section, toddlers pool and

large aquatic adventure play activity. Swimming club rooms. Manager’s office and first aid room, reception and kiosk. Outdoor change rooms and toilets.


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Centre OverviewLeisurelink Aquatic andRecreation Centre(Leisurelink)

240 Pioneer Rd,Grovedale

Indoor facility built in 2010. 50 metre lap pool with dividing boom, learners and leisure pools and

warm water pool. Winter Garden including 2 large water slides, large aquatic adventure

play activity and splash pad play area. Wet and dry saunas. Large gymnasium, two large program rooms, with one also used for

childcare and indoor cycle room. Wet/dry toilets and change room facilities. Café, first aid room, staff offices, meeting room and reception area. Physiotherapy commercial lease space.

Splashdown LeisureCentre (Splashdown)

Coppards Road,Whittington

Indoor facility built in 1986. 2 metre pool with beach entry, learners pool, toddler’s pool and indoor

waterslide with splash pool. Dry sauna. Large gymnasium, cycle room and large multi-purpose room. Crèche, first aid room, staff offices and reception area. Indoor toilets and change facilities

Waterworld LeisureCentre (Waterworld)

2 – 4 Moa St, Norlane

Indoor and outdoor facility built in 1965. Indoor 25 metre lap pool and 23 metre beach entry pool with bubble pool. Outdoor twin waterslides and learners pool (Soon to be demolished as

part of Stage 1 of Northern ARC renewal program), diving pool andaquatic splash pad play area.

Dry sauna. Large gymnasium, cycle room and multi purpose room. Crèche, café, first aid room, staff offices and reception area. Indoor and outdoor toilets and change facilities.

Table 1: CoGG Aquatic and Leisure Centre Overview

In addition to these facilities, the CoGG also manages and supervises the Eastern Beachswimming area. This is a 3.5 hectare enclosed area with a range of features including: adiving board, floating island, children’s area and seating areas.

1.3 Leisure Services Infrastructure Strategy Plan 2012The following information provides a summary of the recommendations outlined in theInfrastructure Strategy Plan completed by the CoGG in 2012. These recommendations werebased on assessment of facility condition, design issues, business demand and projecteddemographic factors.

A summary of capital cost recommendations by Centre is outlined below.

Centre Total PercentageBASC $2,944,000 9.0%

Kardinia Aquatic Centre $2,400,000 7.3%

Lara Swimming Pool $200,000 0.6%

Leisurelink $2,400,000 7.3%

Splashdown $1,610,000 4.9%

Waterworld $23,280,000 70.9%

Total $32,834,000 100.0%

Table 2: 2012 Infrastructure Plan Capital Cost by Centre


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A summary of recommendations by Year is outlined below.

Year Total Percentage2012-2013 $674,000 2.1%

2013-2014 $1,250,000 3.8%

2014-2015 $1,250,000 3.8%

2015-2016 $3,250,000 9.9%

2016-2017 $5,700,000 17.4%

2017-2018 $2,800,000 8.5%

2018-2019 $2,500,000 7.6%

2019-2020 $6,110,000 18.6%

2020-2021 $9,300,000 28.3%

Total $32,834,000 100.0%

Table 3: 2012 Infrastructure Plan Recommendations by Year

In summary it is indicated that the 2012 Infrastructure Plan identified $32.8M of potential worksitems. Of the 22 items, ten have been completed or underway, while a further ten may bereconsidered as part of this 2016/17 review. It it noted that in excess of 70% of the costs, or$23.3M, were allocated to Waterworld and in excess of 80% of the works were identified forthe period 2016/17 and beyond.

Specific recommendations and status is outlined below.

Centre Proposed Works Year Costs ActionedBASC Service Road development 2012-2013 $304,000 Yes

BASC Gymnasium area conversion 2013-2014 $150,000 Yes

BASC Planning gymnasium extension 2015-2016 $250,000 Planned

BASC Gymnasium extension construction 2016-2017 $2,000,000 Planned

BASC Scoping study and concept planning 2017-2018 $150,000 No

BASC Upgrade and repair aquatic adventure playequipment

2012-2013 $90,000 Yes

Kardinia AC Pool and plant room upgrade 2016-2017 $500,000 No

Kardinia AC Children’s aquatic area planning 2019-2020 $100,000 No

Kardinia AC Children’s aquatic area development 2020-2021 $1,500,000 No

Kardinia AC Reduced fenced area at east side andincrease car parking

2020-2021 $300,000 No

Lara SP Filter reline and pipe work replacement 2016-2017 $200,000 No

Leisurelink Gymnasium and program roomredevelopment – planning

2012-2013 $250,000 Yes

Leisurelink Gymnasium and program roomdevelopment – construction

2013-2015 $2,000,000 No

Leisurelink Scoping study and concept planning 2017-2018 $150,000 No

Splashdown Swap locations of gymnasium and GXprogram

2013-2014 $100,000 No

Splashdown Children’s aquatic area planning 2019-2020 $10,000 Yes

Splashdown Children’s aquatic area development 2020-2021 $1,500,000 Yes

Waterworld Master Plan 2012-2013 $30,000 Yes

Waterworld Detailed planning for major development 2014-2015 $250,000 Planned


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Centre Proposed Works Year Costs ActionedWaterworld Stage 1 - Gymnasium and dry program

area2015-2017 $6,000,000 No

Waterworld Stage 2 - Aquatic play area including slide 2017-2019 $5,000,000 No

Waterworld Stage 3 - Aquatic area, office and changerooms

2019-2021 $12,000,000 No

Total $32,834,000

Table 4: 2012 Infrastructure Plan Recommendations and Status

Notes

Completed or planned.To be considered as part of the 2016/17 Infrastructure Plan.


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2 Planning Context2.1 Relevant Strategies and Plans

The following information provides a summary of strategies and plans relevant to the Aquaticand Leisure Infrastructure Strategy Plan.

City Plan (2013 – 2017)

The City Plan aims to guide Council’s activities during the period of 2013-2017. One of thefour strategic directions outlined in the document is that of ‘community wellbeing’ in which theobjective is ‘to enhance health, wellbeing and quality of life of Greater Geelong communities’.The City Plan underlines Council’s desire to facilitate and promote physical activity, as well asthe desire to invest in prevention and improved health across all communities in GreaterGeelong. The City Plan also states that the City will provide ‘safe and vibrant physicalenvironments and infrastructure to support healthy living and connected communities’.

City of Greater Geelong Social Infrastructure Plan (2014 – 2031)

The SIP is intended to inform and assist the provision and delivery of social infrastructurethrough planning, partnerships and advocacy advice.

Geelong Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (2013 – 2017)

The purpose of this Plan is to demonstrate how the CoGG will work to improve the health andwellbeing of the local community over the next four years. The health and wellbeing prioritiesoutlined in this plan that are relevant include: physical activity, active communities, socialinclusion and community connectedness.

In ensuring physical activity & active communities, the plan outlines the assurance that localsport and active recreation settings will address barriers to participation by vulnerable groupswithin the community.

In relation to social inclusion & community connectedness, the City aims to develop andsupport initiatives that increase opportunities for social participation. The City also aims toensure that community facilities are inclusive and accessible for all people and that communityfacilities are built to ensure that social connection occurs.

Greater Geelong Open Space Strategy (2015)

The GGOSS identifies the recreation and open space needs of the Greater Geelongcommunity and develops a strategic framework to guide the ongoing provision andmanagement of public open space.

Indoor Recreation Facilities Strategy (2014)

The IRFS aims to review the regions existing provision of indoor recreation facilities andprovide an analysis of indoor facility provision across the Geelong Region both private andgovernment. The review indicated that the indoor recreation facility provision was low, withonly 34 full size indoor courts available for community use in the City. The IRFS concludedthat the CoGG had a demand for between 34-38 courts and based on population increasesrequire between 41 to 45 courts by 2021 and between 48 and 52 courts by 2031. The strategyhad the following five key recommendations:

New Regional Centre at Brearley Reserve Marshall: New eight to ten court facilityproposed to meet existing and future southern area facility gaps and future populationgrowth.

Expansion of the Leisurelink Centre: Plan for up to four court extension over the outdoornetball courts plus new amenities to meet future northern area population growth.


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Develop New Courts in the Eastern Precinct: New court extensions at Bellarine Aquaticand Sports Centre and Drysdale Secondary College to meet future eastern areapopulation growth.

Greater Use of Existing Facilities: Encourage greater use of underutilisedcommunity/school indoor recreation facilities to provide more local area facilityuse/access.

Develop New Growth Areas Facilities: Develop planned new growth areas indoorrecreation facilities at Armstrong Creek Precincts (x 3 facilities) and Lara West (x 1 facility)as development is taken up and population triggers are met.

Geelong Infrastructure Guidelines (2010)

The guidelines have been prepared to facilitate the development of sustainable communitiesthrough quality planning, design and construction of infrastructure in the CoGG. Within theSport, Recreation & Open Space section, it is outlined that ‘active recreation spaces andfacilities should be designed to facilitate shared use including schools and community anddifferent community users’. Key principles in relation to Sport, Recreation & Open Spaceinfrastructure include: reflecting community needs, improving provision and optimising access,providing for people with disability and ensuring a contribution to social and/or economic well-being and growth.

The qualities and objectives associated with social and community facilities include:accessibility and inclusiveness, community engagement, economic vitality, co-location andsustainable resourcing.

2.2 Demographic InformationThe information below provides a summary of demographic information for both the CoGGand relevant areas in the Surf Coast Shire.

City of Greater Geelong

The table below provides a summary of the ten year population projections for planning SmallAreas.

Small Area 2016Population

2026PopulationProjections

ActualChange

PercentageChange

Armstrong Creek 3,302 13,539 10,237 310%Barwon Heads - Connewarre - Breamlea 4,493 4,685 192 4%Bell Park 5,320 5,897 577 11%Bell Post Hill 5,203 5,394 191 4%Belmont 14,262 14,774 512 4%Clifton Springs 7,683 9,075 1,392 18%Corio 15,256 14,915 -341 -2%Curlewis 1,367 3,988 2,621 192%Drysdale - Bellarine 4,482 5,428 946 21%East Geelong 3,971 4,018 47 1%Geelong - South Geelong - Drumcondra 7,050 8,374 1,324 19%Geelong West - Manifold Heights 9,873 10,009 136 1%Grovedale 14,779 15,467 688 5%Hamlyn Heights 6,499 6,801 302 5%Herne Hill - Fyansford 3,660 4,647 987 27%Highton - Wandana Heights - Ceres 20,993 23,906 2,913 14%Lara 16,004 19,051 3,047 19%


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ActualChange

PercentageChange

Leopold 12,646 14,811 2,165 17%Lovely Banks - Batesford - Moorabool 2,676 3,232 556 21%Marshall - Charlemont 2,659 6,289 3,630 137%Mount Duneed 738 4,772 4,034 547%Newcomb - Moolap 6,114 6,613 499 8%Newtown 10,505 10,478 -27 0%Norlane - North Shore 8,979 9,655 676 8%North Geelong - Rippleside 4,052 4,503 451 11%Ocean Grove 14,071 15,575 1,504 11%Portarlington 3,769 4,456 687 18%Rural Bellarine Peninsula 2,887 4,074 1,187 41%Rural North 1,787 2,002 215 12%St Albans Park 5,092 5,273 181 4%St Leonards - Indented Head 3,581 4,623 1,042 29%Thomson - Breakwater 2,772 2,860 88 3%Waurn Ponds 4,333 4,539 206 5%Whittington 4,143 4,198 55 1%Grand Total 234,999 277,920 42,921 18%

Table 5: CoGG Populations and 2026 Projections

It is identified that the major areas of population growth within the CoGG over the next tenyears are: Armstrong Creek, Mount Duneed, Marshall, Lara and Highton.

In addition to the above, the table below provides a summary of growth and study areas thathave longer-term relevance to the provision of aquatic and leisure centre infrastructure.

Area Lot Estimates Future PopulationEstimates Timeframe

Growth AreaArmstrong Creek 22,000 65,000 10 to 25 yearsBarwon Heads UnknownClifton Springs 2,000 6,000 10 to 15 yearsLara West 4,500 13,500 *17 yearsLeopold 1,500 4,500 *13 yearsOcean Grove 2,000 6,000 Approx 20 yearsStudy AreaMoolap Alcoa Site TBD Study AreaNorthern Study Area 14,000 50,000 Study AreaWestern Study Area 18,000 60,000 Study Area

Table 6: CoGG Growth and Study Areas

Notes: Significant variations could result from changes to take up rates. The 2011 Lara Westprojection is for the whole township and not just the western area. The 2013 Leopoldprojection is based on medium growth scenario.

Overall it is noted that the population in growth areas is projected to increase by an estimatedtotal of 95,000 within the next 25 years while the potential population for Study Areas is inexcess of 110,000 (refer Appendix B for location mapping). As a guide, this total equates to


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47% of the 2016 CoGG population of 234,999. A further detailed overview and mapping ofGrowth and Study Areas with the population projection to 2036 is attached in Appendix C.

The table below provides a summary of those CoGG areas with the lowest socio-economicindex with mapping provided in Appendix D.

Area Disadvantage Index Economic ResourcesIndex

Education andOccupation Index

Norlane 771 796 807Whittington 823 834 831Thomson 839 821 881Corio 875 885 841Breakwater 904 890 876Newcomb 918 909 891Bell Park 913 937 891North Shore 938 924 914Herne Hill 949 903 939North Geelong 928 913 956

Table 7: CoGG Low SEIFA Areas

It is identified that these areas are predominately in the eastern and northern Geelong areasand in the catchment areas of either Splashdown or the Waterworld facilities.

Surf Coast Shire

The table below provides a summary of the ten year population projections for relevant SurfCoast Shire areas.

Area 2016Population

2026PopulationProjection

Actual Change PercentageChange

Anglesea 2,653 2,789 136 5.1%Jan Juc - Bellbrae - Bells Beach 4,839 5,517 678 14.0%Old Torquay - Torquay West 5,899 7,641 1,742 29.5%Torquay North 6,714 10,287 3,573 53.2%Total 20,105 26,234 6,129 30.5%

Table 8: Surf Coast Shire Populations and 2026 Projections

Based on this information, it is identified that very significant population growth is projected forthe Torquay region.

2.3 Geelong Health ReportAnalysis undertaken by the Department of Health in 2014 on modifiable risk factorscontributing to chronic disease, identified the following for adults in the Geelong Region:

68% exercise enough daily.

56% are overweight or obese.

21% are smokers, which is higher than the state average of 16%.

52% are at risk of alcohol related harm.

42% eat enough vegetables and 5% eat enough fruit.

14% experience psychological distress.

As a result of the current situation, a potentially important role exists for the CoGG Swim,Sport and Leisure to improve the overall health status in the Geelong Region.


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2.4 Other Geelong Region Aquatic FacilitiesIn addition to the CoGG aquatic facilities, the following aquatic facilities are also located in theGeelong Region.

School Swimming Pools

Four Geelong Region schools have swimming pools with external use arrangements outlinedbelow:

Geelong College, located in Newtown, provides a community learn to swim program andallows group usage under a hire arrangement.

Geelong Grammar, located in Corio, has a small number of external group bookings butnot general public casual access.

Christian College Sports and Aquatic Centre in Highton features a 25-metre pool and a 9-metre children’s pool. The Sports and Aquatic Centre is available for hire by localswimming and sporting clubs, community groups and organisations outside of schoolhours.

Kardinia International College, located in Newtown, has a learn to swim program which isconducted by H20 Swimming Works.

Based on research undertaken by Swim, Sport and Leisure staff, it is understood that limitedor no additional aquatic program capacity exists for these schools to accommodate any futureincreased demand.

Private Facilities

Geelong Aquatic Centre (GAC)

The Geelong Aquatic Centre is a privately operated aquatic facility located in Newtown. GAChas two pools, a five lane 25 metre pool and a 5 metre by 10 metre learners pool, changerooms and administration areas. The GAC operates a range of programs including: swimminglessons, school intensives, squads, parties, teacher training courses and other trainingprograms. Learn to swim is the major program and advice from Swim Sport and Leisure staffis that GAC has approximately 1,500 to 2,000 enrolments in this program.

Due to the operational model of the GAC, which involves extensive programming andbookings, it is understood that limited capacity exists for future growth.

Club Armstrong

Club Armstrong, located in Armstrong Creek services Armstrong Creek Residents andfeatures outdoor pool heated pool, children’s pool and gymnasium. There appears to be littleopportunity to conduct swim in the outdoor pools

Leopold Swim School (LSS) – Geelong

Leopold Swim School is a privately operated aquatic facility located in Leopold. The LSCoperates a range of programs including swimming lessons, school intensives and squads.Enrolment numbers are between 500 and 700.

Jump Swim Schools – Geelong West and Lara

Jump Swim Schools are boutique learning facilities with a maximum of only two classes atonce. The Jump focus is to provide a specialised facility to teach babies and infants waterskills. They also offer opportunities for independent lesson, formats however these are limitedby the relatively small size of pools.

Splash Swim School – Breakwater and Port Arlington


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Splash Swim School is a small provider of learn to swim programs in the Geelong Region.Splash Breakwater. Splash Port Arlington offers swim lesson, aqua aerobics and casual lapswimming. Splash Geelong is a smaller centre focused on Swim Lessons.

Surf Coast Shire – Torquay Area

In summary, three community accessible pools are located in the Torquay area and these are:the Sands, RACV and Torquay Swim School. (Note: Further details of Torquay locatedfacilities are outlined later in this report and in Appendix J).


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3 Aquatic and Leisure PlanningAdditional background information associated with the provision of aquatic and leisureinfrastructure in the CoGG is outlined below.

3.1 Northern Aquatic Recreation and CommunityDevelopment – Health and Well Being HubIn parallel with the Aquatic and Leisure Infrastructure Strategy Plan, the CoGG has beenreviewing options for the potential development for Waterworld as part of the Northern AquaticRecreation and Community Master Planning process. An overview of the potential options forthe leisure and aquatic facility component is outlined below.

Options Overview

As background, an overview of the three leisure and aquatic centre options is provided belowwith indicative concepts for Options 1 for 2 provided in Appendix E.

1. Base Case: a Waterworld status quo position with the following minor modifications:

- 500m2 of new storage facility to replace the amount lost to the Barwon Health project.

- Replacement of the aquatic area canopy.

- Periodic maintenance items as outlined in the SPM Asset Report (previously completedthrough the City of Greater Geelong).

- No other changes to existing facilities.

2. Option 1: the development of a new leisure and aquatic centre in the north-east corner ofthe precinct. The new centre would incorporate the following components:

- Aquatics area including: 25m pool, warm water program pool, learn to swim pool andslide.

- Dry area including: gymnasium, program rooms and childcare facilities.

- Centrally located café.

- Supporting infrastructure (e.g. change rooms, plant rooms, storage etc.).

- 1,000m2 of community space as a replacement to the existing community hall.

A potential subsequent stage 2 development of a new library could occur however this hasnot been considered as part of this analysis.

3. Option 2: the Northern ARC Master Plan has been developed through a thoroughcommunity and stakeholder consultation process and this proposes a 15 year plan for thedelivery of new facilities as existing end-of-life structures are decommissioned. The facilitywould be located to the north of the existing leisure and aquatic centre with componentsincluding:

- Leisure and aquatic facility elements as outlined in Option 1 (with variations outlined inthe table below).

- 1,200m2 of community space.

- A new library (as a replacement for the existing).

Health Precinct

As an integral part of this precinct development, it is proposed that the Barwon Health Facilitywould also be developed.


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Options 1 and 2 Design Brief

For clarity, the table below provides an overview of the subtle differences between thepotential Options 1 and 2 leisure and aquatic centre developments.

Facility Component Option 1(Precinct North East)

Option 2(Precinct North)

Community SpaceSingle Level Community Space 1,000m² 1,200m²Front of House and OtherReception / Foyer / Retail 200m² 242m²

Administration 150m² 475m²Café 50m² 226m²

Crèche 200m² 300m²Public Toilets 40m² 137m²

Training Room 0m² 200m²Staff Area 20m² 0m²

Outdoor AreaAquatics25m Main Pool 500m² 500m²Warm Water Program Pool 200m² plus ramp 200m² plus ramp

Education Pool (LTS Pool) 150m² 150m²Internal Aquatic Play 600m² 600m²

Spa 35m² 35m²Sauna 30m² 30m²

Steam Room 25m² 25m²Family Change 80m2 118m2

Aquatic Change 160m2 210m2

One Slide One Slide Two SlidesOutdoor Leisure Facilities 600m²

Aquatic Storage 125m² 125m²Dry FacilityGymnasium 800m² 800m²Group Fitness #1 300m² 300m²

Group Fitness #2 257m² 257m²Cycle Room 120m² 175m²

Dry Change 180m² 231m²PlantroomPool Plantroom 400m² 420m²Mechanical Plant 250m² 390m²

Miscellaneous Plant 30m² 0m²LibraryDevelopment Stage 2 1,600m²

Table 9: Options 1 and 2 Design Brief


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3.2 Preliminary Master PlanningWithin the last five years, Council has also undertaken preliminary master planning for BASC,Leisurelink and Splashdown and an overview of these are provided below.

BASC Master Plan

A preliminary Master Plan incorporating two potential development options was completed forBASC in 2015. Design options are provided in Appendix F with key components including:

Additional dry group program space.

Larger gymnasium area.

Additional indoor sports courts.

New warm water pool.

Leisurelink Master Plan

A preliminary Master Plan was completed in 2013 and this is attached in Appendix G. Keycomponents include:

New co-generation.

Enhanced changerooms.

Expanded gymnasium.

New 25 metre program pool.

Additional outdoor activity area.

Splashdown Master Plan

A preliminary Master Plan was completed in 2014 and this is attached in Appendix H. Keycomponents include:

New splash pad.

New relocated gymnasium and outdoor training area.

Additional meeting and administration space.

3.3 Surf Coast ShireThe Surf Coast Shire (SCS) has undertaken extensive research for the consideration of anaquatic and leisure centre development in Torquay.

In 2009, a comprehensive Feasibility Study was completed and this recommended “Councilshould not consider the development of an Indoor Aquatic and Leisure Centre until at least theend of the 2015 financial year. The catchment population will then be 27,500 and the centrewill still require Council to subsidise the operation of it until the breakeven trigger point of40,000 people in the catchment is reached in 2031”.

The key facility components outlined in the Feasibility Study for a potential future developmentincluded the following: Indoor 25 metre pool with 8 lanes of 2.1 metre width, leisure water/learn to swim pool, 500 square metre gym, 200 square metre group fitness room, allied healthconsulting suite, café, crèche, change rooms and administration areas.

Subsequent to the 2009 Feasibility Study, Council has undertaken ongoing reviews andresearch into the provision of a community aquatic and leisure centre in Torquay including ananalysis by the Surf Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre Task Force in 2014. The preferreddevelopment option at this time was for a health and wellness facility model with an estimatedcapital cost of $29M.


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Following on from this further research and community consultation, Council resolved thefollowing key points in December 2015.

1. Note and acknowledge the extensive feedback provided by members of the community onCouncil’s proposed model for an aquatic and health facility.

2. Note that whilst the development and operation of an aquatic and health centre wouldoffer benefits to some in the community, the majority of people’s views indicate that afacility is not desired at this time and that Council should focus on other priorities.

3. Having considered all views in the community do not undertake any further planning for anaquatic and health centre at this time.

4. Note that no allowance is made for an aquatic and health centre in Council’s long-termfinancial plan.

5. Be mindful of the potential to consider a facility in the longer-term, retain sufficient land foran aquatic and health centre within the Community and Civic Precinct in North Torquay.

6. Remain open to proposals from private parties to develop and operate an aquatic andhealth centre on Council-owned land.

7. Note the feedback received through the consultation process that Council should workclosely with the City of Greater Geelong in considering the development of future aquaticinfrastructure that will potentially serve communities in both municipalities.

8. Allocate $5,000 from the Accumulated Unallocated Cash Reserve to participate in the Cityof Greater Geelong’s refresh of its Aquatic Strategy to develop a shared-view of thelonger-term aquatic and health needs of communities in the growth areas of Torquay,Winchelsea and Armstrong Creek.


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4 Aquatic and Leisure Centre OverviewAn overall summary of the Centres including performance and participation rates is outlinedbelow.

4.1 Distance Between CentresAs background, the information below provides a summary of the distance between Centresbased on one continuous trip commencing at Lara Swimming Pool and finishing at BASC.The associated travel map is attached in Appendix I.

Lara Swimming Pool to Waterworld: 8.5km and upwards of 10 minutes.

Waterworld to Leisurelink: 19km and upwards of 20 minutes.

Leisurelink to Kardinia Aquatic Centre: 6km and upwards of 10 minutes.

Kardinia Aquatic Centre to Splashdown: 6km and upwards of 10 minutes.

Splashdown to BASC: 18km and upwards of 20 minutes.

The approximate total distance of pathway is 57km with travel time upwards of 70 minutes.

4.2 Financial Performance and AttendancesFinancial Performance

The comparative financial performance of the CoGG aquatic and leisure centres in 2015/16(excluding depreciation) is outlined below.

Item BASCKardiniaAquaticCentre

LaraSwimming

PoolLeisurelink Splashdown Waterworld Total

Income $2,297,642 $319,954 $126,891 $6,600,858 $1,567,543 $1,871,134 $12,784,022

Expenditure $2,761,423 $880,443 $235,240 $6,213,800 $2,293,864 $2,824,155 $15,208,925

Net ($463,781) ($560,489) ($108,349) $387,058 ($726,321) ($953,021) ($2,424,903)

Table 10: CoGG 2015/16 Aquatic and Leisure Centre Financial Performance

Based on the above information, it is identified that:

Overall combined income was $12.78M with expenditure of $15.21M.

Leisurelink is the only CoGG major aquatic and leisure centre with an operational surplus.

BASC and Leisurelink account for 69.6% of total income.

The combined deficit of Splashdown and Waterworld is $1.68M.

Attendances

The comparative annual attendance to the CoGG aquatic and leisure centres in 2015/16 isoutlined below.


LaraSwimming

PoolLeisurelink Splashdown Waterworld Total

Attendance 449,361 83,812 25,707 891,302 197,068 283,627 1,930,877

Table 11: CoGG 2015/16 Aquatic and Leisure Centre Annual Attendances

The table above indicates that:

Total attendances were 1.93M with Leisurelink accounting for 46.2% of total attendanceswhile Splashdown and Waterworld accounted for 24.9% of total attendances.


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4.3 Performance BenchmarkingThe table following provides a summary of 2015/16 performance benchmarking forthe CoGG aquatic and leisure centres.


LaraSwimming

PoolLeisurelink Splashdown Waterworld

Income $2,297,642 $319,954 $126,891 $6,600,858 $1,567,543 $1,871,134Expenditure $2,761,423 $880,443 $235,240 $6,213,800 $2,293,864 $2,824,155Net ($463,781) ($560,489) ($108,349) $387,058 ($726,321) ($953,021)Annual Attendance 449,361 83,812 25,707 891,302 197,068 283,627Subsidy per Visit ($1.03) ($6.69) ($4.21) $0.43 ($3.69) ($3.36)Expense Recovery 83% 36% 54% 106% 68% 66%Income per Visit $5.11 $3.82 $4.94 $7.41 $7.95 $6.60Expenditure per Visit $6.15 $10.50 $9.15 $6.97 $11.64 $9.96Catchment Population 20,300 NA NA 60,000 33,000 45,000Visits per Catchment 22.1 NA NA 14.9 6.0 6.3Total Floor Area (m2) 4,413 NA NA 8,205 2,659 4,308Annual Visits/Floor Area (m2) 101.8 NA NA 108.6 74.1 65.8

Table 12: CoGG 2015/16 Aquatic and Leisure Centre Performance Benchmarking

Relevant notes and comments are as follows:

It is noted that by benchmarking standards that BASC and Leisurelink have exceptionallyhigh visitations per head of catchment population of 22.1 and 14.9 respectively.

The expense recovery of both Splashdown and Waterworld of 68% and 66% respectivelyare the lowest of the group.

Splashdown and Waterworld have the lowest level of utilisation for the floor spaceprovided of 74.1 and 65.8 visits per square metre.

Note: Catchment populations are sourced from the independent performance benchmarkingundertaken by CoGG (CERM) but with Waterworld based on direct CoGG advice.


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4.4 City of Greater Geelong Participation RatesParticipation rates by CoGG planning Small Areas are outlined below.

Small AreaTotal Learn to Swim,Members and Swim

Passes2016 Percentage of

Population

Armstrong Creek 429 13.0%Barwon Heads - Connewarre - Breamlea 700 15.6%Bell Park 270 5.1%Bell Post Hill 292 5.6%Belmont 1,962 13.8%Clifton Springs 444 5.8%Corio 790 5.2%Curlewis 99 7.2%Drysdale - Bellarine 370 8.3%East Geelong 629 15.8%Geelong - South Geelong - Drumcondra 799 11.3%Geelong West - Manifold Heights 668 6.8%Grovedale 1,946 13.2%Hamlyn Heights 361 5.6%Herne Hill - Fyansford 200 5.5%Highton - Wandana Heights - Ceres 3,232 15.4%Lara 875 5.5%Leopold 1,028 8.1%Lovely Banks - Batesford - Moorabool 227 8.5%Marshall - Charlemont 194 7.3%Mount Duneed 156 21.1%Newcomb - Moolap 475 7.8%Newtown 813 7.7%Norlane - North Shore 415 4.6%North Geelong - Rippleside 242 6.0%Ocean Grove 2,734 19.4%Portarlington 82 2.2%St Albans Park 392 7.7%St Leonards - Indented Head 129 3.6%Thomson - Breakwater 105 3.8%Waurn Ponds 821 18.9%Whittington 280 6.8%Total 22,159 9.4%

Table 13: CoGG Participation Rates by Small Areas

The above table indicates that:

Participation rates from Small Areas in the Waterworld catchment area are all significantlylower than the CoGG average. These Small Areas are: Bell Park, Corio, Hamlyn Heights,Geelong West, Lara, Norlane, North Geelong and North Shore.

Participation rates from Small Areas within the BASC and Leisurelink catchment areas arehigher than the CoGG average. The BASC catchment Small Areas with high participationrates include: Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. The Leisurelink catchment Small Areas


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with high participation rates include: Belmont, South Geelong, Grovedale, Highton andWaurn Ponds.

It is also specifically noted that 13% of Armstrong Creek residents are members or accesspass holders at CoGG facilities. This participation rate is significantly higher than theCoGG average of 9.4%.

4.5 Surf Coast Shire Participation RatesParticipation rates from select Surf Coast Shire planning Small Areas at CoGG facilities areoutlined below.

AreaTotal Learn to Swim,Members and Swim

PassesPercentage of

Population

Anglesea 133 5.0%Jan Juc - Bellbrae - Bells Beach 307 6.3%Torquay 785 6.2%Total 1,225 6.1%

Table 14: Surfcoast Shire Participation Rates

In summary, it is noted that while these participation rates are lower than the CoGG average,the total participation rate from these Surf Coast Shire Small Areas is higher than 40% ofCoGG Small Areas.

4.6 Facility Review Against Best PracticeAs part of the review process, several site visits were undertaken to each Centre with anassessment completed against best practice design. The purpose of this assessment was toidentify any gaps and/or issues in overall service provision. The details below provide anoverview of the key outcomes and findings for the four major facilities.

Service or Facility BASC Leisurelink Splashdown Waterworld AverageFacilities for Children 67% 92% 21% 29% 52%Lap Swimming 75% 96% 63% 54% 72%Swim Lessons 70% 83% 38% 43% 58%Special Needs Groups Facilities 40% 62% 23% 37% 40%Strength Training and Cardio 64% 80% 45% 48% 59%Program Room (1) 75% 78% 50% 53% 64%Spin Room (2) 72% 69% 50% 50% 60%Crèche/Program Room (3) 75% 69% 0% 44% 47%Administration Areas 43% 100% 50% 50% 61%Reception Area/Foyer 42% 41% 30% 32% 36%Café 58% 75% 0% 50% 46%Facility Quality 71% 73% 40% 30% 54%Child Care 67% 75% 75% 50% 67%Other issues 71% 67% 55% 58% 63%Total 63% 73% 43% 44% 56%

Table 15: Facility Review Against Best Practice Design

The above research highlights:

Substantial issues and weaknesses at Splashdown and Waterworld.

Overall major issues in services and/or facilities for children, special needs groups,crèche/program room, reception and café.


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4.7 Car Parking ProvisionThe following information provides an overview of car parking provision at each of the sites.

BASC: there are approximately 150 car parks on the BASC site with further car parking inthe precinct. As the Centre is co-located in a community hub area, the BASC car parksare not dedicated and hence are used during school pick up and drop off times and atother times when precinct users have activities. Feedback from Swim, Sport and Leisurestaff is that BASC experiences the greatest car parking issues of all the CoGG aquatic andleisure centres.

Kardinia Aquatic Centre: users have access to on-street car parking and the Kardinia Parkcar parking area, which can be opened up by Swim Sport and Leisure staff when required.

Lara Swimming Pool: has 123 car parks which is adequate to service current patronagelevels.

Leisurelink: there are approximately 400 sealed and 270 gravel car parks in the precinctfor a total of 670 car parks (100 of the gravel car parks are to be sealed in mid 2017). Thecar park very rarely gets to capacity and if it does it is generally at a time when a majorbaseball event is on in the precinct. Overall car parking provision appears to be adequate.Due to the size and fragmented layout of the car parking, additional controls and/orinformation systems could be introduced in the future if the occupancy level is higher.

Note: As background, when Leisurelink first opened there was approximately 350 carparks and this was totally inadequate, since this time, car parking provision has beenincreased and improved.

Splashdown: the Centre has 146 car parks which is adequate.

Waterworld: the precinct currently has approximately 300 car parks and very rarely if evergets to capacity.

A summary of overall car parking provision per annual visits for the major aquatic and leisurecentres is provided below.

Item BASC Leisurelink Splashdown Waterworld TotalCar Parks 150 670 146 300 1,266

Attendance (2015/16) 449,361 891,302 197,068 283,627 1,821,358

Visits per Car Park 2,996 1,330 1,350 945 1,439

Table 16: Car Park Provision and Attendances

The table above highlights that on average CoGG aquatic and leisure centres had 1,439 visitsper car park in 2015/16. When compared to annual attendances, BASC has the lowestprovision with 2,996 annual visits per car park, which is more than twice the CoGG average.


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5 ConsultationA summary of consultation undertaken as part of the Strategy Plan is outlined below.

5.1 City of Greater GeelongOngoing consultation occurred throughout the project with the CoGG and this included ProjectControl Group meetings, Officer liaison and research support, Swim, Sport and Leisuremanagement staff workshops and meetings and Centre site visits.

A summary of the key findings from the Swim, Sport and Leisure management workshops isoutlined below with findings from other CoGG consultation outlined in other sections of thisreport.

Future Planning Themes

A range of planning themes associated with future success were identified through theworkshops and these included:

Programs and Services: to provide a diverse range of programs and services that cater forthe broad needs of the community and with specific support to CALD, special needs, olderadults and other targeted groups.

Marketing: to develop innovative marketing programs that encourage usage by higherneed groups and also adults, teenagers, pre and post natal groups, young families,schools and sporting organisations.

Community Need and Benefits: to play a strong support and leadership role in enhancingthe general wellbeing of the Geelong Region community (e.g. health, social inclusion andsport pathways).

Partnerships: to enhance partnerships with government, health providers, user groups,private sector and community organisations.

Accessibility and Equity: to enhance accessibility through the application of: i) universaldesign principles, ii) increased facility capacity to accommodate current demand andfuture growth, iii) a safe environment and iv) affordable programs and services.

Facility Quality: to ensure that facilities are maintained to the level expected by thecommunity both in terms of condition and general presentation.

Education: to provide ongoing education for Swim, Sport and Leisure staff and thecommunity in order to maximise the overall benefits of facility provision.

Financial Sustainability: to maximise business performance by growing “cash-cow” areassuch as health and wellness, learn to swim and leisure usage whilst also developing newincome streams through the application of contemporary technology.


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Major Infrastructure Issues and Opportunities

The following major infrastructure issues and opportunities were identified:

Issues Opportunities No dedicated warm water pool. No dedicated all year round 50m pool. No dedicated all year round leisure water. Asset condition of Splashdown and

Waterworld is poor. BASC and Leisurelink are at capacity at times.

Develop facilities in a complementary mannerso that they operate as a network.

Increase warm water provision across thegroup to cater for special needs groups, olderadults and learn to swim participation.

Redevelop Waterworld as part of the NorthernARC project.

Kardinia Aquatic Centre and Lara SwimmingPool are generally good outdoor pools and dueto its location, Kardinia Aquatic Centre inparticular could play a more significant role aspopulation numbers increase.

Increase learn to swim space. Provide additional change rooms for schools

and learn to swim participants. Reposition Leisurelink to better cater for

children’s programs and services. Improve overall universal design. Increase capacity across the group to

accommodate current demand and futurepopulation growth.

Table 17: Major Infrastructure Issues and Opportunities

5.2 Surf Coast ShireAs part of the research process, additional consultation was undertaken with the CEO and theGeneral Manager of Culture and Community of the SCS with the information below providingan overview of the key points raised.

Since the 2009 Feasibility Study, and in particularly of more recently, private sector provisionhas increased with Torquay now having: three pools (the Sands, RACV and Torquay SwimSchool), eight facilities that have gymnasiums including three 24/7 gyms and in excess ofeleven sites providing group training classes. A summary of these changes is outlined inAppendix J.

It was noted that Council has allocated land in the community precinct for the potential futuredevelopment of an aquatic and leisure type facility. Council now needs to determine its role incommunity aquatic and leisure provision and in particular, understand the key gaps incommunity need. As an example, it was mentioned that the population has an ageingcomponent this has a specific need for services.

The population growth projected for Armstrong Creek will also contribute to increased demandand consideration should be given to a collaborative approach to G21 Councils in meeting thisdemand.

The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office has recently completed a review of aquatic and leisureprovision and a key finding included a collaborative approach by neighbouring LGA’s due tothe costs associated with development and operation.

SCS also highlighted that it operates a seasonal outdoor pool at Winchelsea and thatconsideration could be given to support for the operation of this facility particularly given theexpertise of CoGG in this space.

In addition to the above consultation, Surf Coast Shire had representation on the ProjectControl Group and as such had ongoing input into the project including the finalisation of theAquatic and Leisure Infrastructure Strategy Guiding Principles.


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5.3 User SurveyAs part of the consultation process, specific surveys were conducted with lap swimmers andusers of the warm water pool at Leisurelink.

Lap Swimmers Survey

A total of 150 Leisurelink lap swimmers were surveyed and of these:

70% used the Centre two or more times per week.

30% used the Centre between 8am and 12 noon, 25% before 8am and 19% between 4pmand 6pm.

54% had been using the Centre for three years or more.

A total of 80% were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the lap swimmingexperience.

A total of 59% rated the lap swimming experience as either very high quality or highquality.

A total of 69% were either very satisfied or satisfied with the overall availability of laplanes.

42% of those surveyed identified that they would recommend Leisurelink to a friend.

78% of those surveyed would prefer to swim in an indoor pool through winter with 35% ofthese preferring to swim in an outdoor pool through summer.

Warm Water Pool User Survey

A total of 42 Leisurelink warm water pool users were surveyed and of these:

A total of 95% used the Centre two or more times per week.

56% used the Centre between 8am and 12 noon while 37% before 8am.

69% had been using the Centre for three years or more.

A total of 95% were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the warm water poolexperience.

A total of 71% rated the lap swimming experience as either very high quality or highquality.


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6 Industry Research and TrendsA summary of relevant industry research and trends associated with the design, managementand operation of contemporary leisure and aquatic centres is outlined below.

6.1 General Business DriversA number of other issues that effect future design and operations of aquatic and leisurecentres (ALCs) also require consideration and these are outlined below.

Customer Expectations

Customer expectations in terms of quality and service have increased significantly in the pastten years. Change room quality, car parking and facility presentation can have a significanteffect on customer satisfaction and retention. In instances where facility quality does not meetcustomer expectations, participation and revenue levels can fall quite dramatically placingpressure on Councils to ensure that facility quality is consistently high.

Children and Obesity

With childhood obesity growing at an alarming rate, health and fitness professionals see theepidemic as a need to create programs and facilities tailored to overweight and obesechildren. This provides an opportunity for ALCs to provide facilities and programs capable ofaddressing childhood obesity.

Fitness Programs for Older Adults

As the “baby boom” generation reach retirement age, they have more time to participate inhealth and wellness programs. Therefore, many health and fitness centres are creating age-appropriate fitness programs and membership categories to keep older adults healthy andactive. Older adults have been a major growth area and targeting this cohort can increase useduring periods throughout the day that traditionally experience low demand.

Private Gymnasium Market

The past five years has seen a significant increase in the number of 24 hour gymnasiums thatprovide a low cost and low service approach to fitness. These centres are proving popularwith people in the 19 to 34 age group. The 24 hour facilities operate with much lowerbusiness overheads than the bigger local government ALCs due to lower levels of staff inassociated service. There is significantly more competition now than there was five years agoand local government owned facilities have been losing market share. For these reasons, it isimportant for Councils to consider alternate methods in this area which include collaborativepartnerships with fitness providers as a value-add to the aquatic based service and facilities.

Other Leisure Providers

Private sector provision has also recently changed in other areas with the emergence of“Jump and Bounce” centres and private swim schools. This provision may impact on localgovernment ALCs, hence an appropriate strategy is critical.

Summary

The nostalgic view of aquatic centres as outdoor pools where the local community cooleddown in summer is a far cry from today’s sophisticated and competitive indoor ALC market.Contemporary centres are now offering a broad range of facilities and programs to meet thecommunity needs of all ages. Key to this is the provision of warm water exercise areas,aquatic leisure play areas, family-centric facilities, alternate programming and a focus onuniversal design initiatives. Facilities that do not provide these services in some form arelikely to perform poorly in terms of participation and viability. The increase in market


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competitiveness and the associated rise in customer expectations requires councils to re-invest in aquatic facilities to ensure they maintain market share and financial sustainability.

6.2 Design TrendsOver the past five years, there has been significant development and renewal of ALCsnationally. These developments are in direct response to: ageing assets, the changing needsof users and the provision of health and leisure activities for individuals, groups and families.These developments have highlighted a number of trends to consider in the planning andoperation of ALCs.

Dedicated Learn to Swim Pools

As a common design trend, dedicated learn to swim pools are now included into new facilitiesand existing facility redevelopments. These pools, which are generally around 10m by 12mwith a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius and depths ranging from 0.7m to 0.9m, cater for inexcess of 50% of a Centres total learn to swim participation. The provision of this type ofaquatic space together with other aquatic spaces, allows for the provision of a progressivelearn to swim program and this facilitates high enrolment levels. A successful learn to swimprogram is critical to the overall financial sustainability of contemporary ALCs. This hasbecome even more important as a result of increased competition in the traditional localgovernment “cash cow” area of health and fitness.

Water Play Areas – Leisure Water

The provision of all year round “leisure water” has been the most obvious development trendin facility design over the past five years. Leisure water includes sprays, tipping buckets,fountains, small water slides and the like. All new centres that the Warren Green Consultingteam has worked on in the past three years in particular have included leisure water facilities.The installation cost of splash pads and water slides have ranged from $400K to $3.0M.

Modern water play installations are highly interactive and can transform aquatic centres intoentertainment destinations and increase activity levels in children aged from 2-14 years ofage. Water play features provide significant revenue streams from increased patronage butalso provide indirect revenue through increases in aquatic education revenue and secondaryspend.

Warm Water Exercise Pools

Physiotherapists, general practitioners, personal trainers and other healthcare professionalsare increasingly prescribing aquatic exercise programs for patients and clients. Studies havedemonstrated the benefits of aquatic exercise for rehabilitation, injury prevention and painmanagement. Arthritis patients have an increased range of movement and more flexibility inwater, allowing them to improve their physical condition.

As the population continues to age, the demand for venues to deliver aquatic therapies willgrow. In response to the increased demand for warm water activities, most new facilities nowincorporate either a hydrotherapy pool or a warm water exercise pool.

Family and Group Change Facilities

The introduction of leisure water features and the drawing card these provide for families canplace significant strain on change facilities. The industry has responded to the increaseddemand on change facilities by providing family specific change rooms. These change roomsgenerally consist of cubicles but do not include showers or toilets. The change cubicles aregrouped together to form a change village. “On deck” (poolside) showers complement changevillages and enable people to rinse off prior to changing into their clothes. Change villages area low cost way of increasing overall change facility capacity and providing dedicated changefacilities for families.


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Universal Design and Disability Access

Changes to government legislation with regard to disability access means that modernfacilities now require ramp access into all pools, hoists and accessible toilets and changefacilities. Indoor heated pools are now more widely used by disability groups and individuals.Added to this is the growing range of programs and activities offered to people of differentabilities and physical condition.

Health Club Membership

Over the past 5 years the consulting team has been involved with the design orredevelopment of a number of aquatic facilities. At each facility, health membership numberscontinue to grow or are at capacity. The recent opening of TRAC, Glen Eira Sport and AquaticCentre and Leisurelink Geelong has seen membership numbers exceed expectations. AtTRAC, membership was approximately 600 prior to closure of the Centre in 2008 forrefurbishment. Since the reopening in 2010, membership has grown to over 3,600.

The YMCA recently stated that currently 9% of the adult population in Australia has some formof gymnasium membership whereas in the USA it is 12% and the UK 15%. It anticipates thatthe Australian market will continue to grow towards UK levels.

The growth in the market has seen recent facility developments include significantly largergymnasiums (up to nearly 1000 m2) than would traditionally have been constructed. Byproviding larger gymnasium areas, centre operators are providing the best possibleenvironment in which to meet user needs and expectations while at the same time generatenet revenues to reduce the long term financial burden on council from operating aquaticfacilities.

Group Training and Meeting Spaces Provision

Major redevelopments have incorporated the provision of additional group training or meetingspaces for a range of activities including: community meetings, educational sessions, alliedhealth services, spin classes, traditional aerobics, older adult programs, special needs groupssessions, programs for minority or ethnic groups and alternate training (e.g. yoga, tai chi,pilates etc.).

Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) and Management

Reducing energy usage is an increasingly critical part of centre management plans, facilitydesign and operations. Many local governments require a detailed response on the capacityto deliver environmentally sustainable management outcomes as part of tender submissionswhen outsourcing facility management for example. Increasingly, centres are using theirenvironmental credentials as an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the rest of themarket. Energy and water costs are predicted to continue to rise, therefore requiringincreased capital investment in ESD to assist with long-term viability. It is important torecognise the emissions produced by aquatic facilities and to be environmentally responsiblein reducing their footprint through ESD. This trend is likely to continue as people becomemore educated regarding the impact of ESD.

Reception Foyer Areas Designed to Take Into Account Self-Entry Opportunities

Changes in technology have made the implementation of self-entry options possible in ALCs.Self-entry involves customers swiping their membership cards over a scanner to gain accessthrough entry gates in the foyer. Self-entry systems have many benefits including quick entryfor members, reduction of queues, enhanced capacity to manage over the counter enquiriesand some reduction in staff costs.

Self-entry systems are enhanced through the implementation of sales kiosks that act as avirtual customer service agent. They can handle membership sales, multi-visit pass sales andtop ups, along with group fitness check-in and casual sales. Payments at kiosks can be madeusing cash or credit card and are fully integrated with the point of sale system.


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Provision of Social Spaces including Quality Cafés

An important design consideration is the inclusion of informal social spaces such as good caféareas that facilitate social interaction between users, create a sense of belonging, enhanceoverall financial performance and create a point of difference with the private sector. Thesespaces have been shown to increase customer retention through increasing the sense ofaffiliation with leisure and aquatic centres.

6.3 Lifecycle Costing and RenewalMany older local government aquatic facilities are in relatively poor condition due to a lack ofasset replacement funding. The outcome is that facilities have poor presentation and aresubject to regular breakdown of essential plant and equipment. Over time, these issuescontribute to a reduction in customer satisfaction and a deterioration of financial performance.

To assist the consulting team with understanding the future asset replacement requirementsfor a range of aquatic facilities, quantity surveying company Slattery Australia Pty Ltd waspreviously engaged to provide an assessment of “Lifecycle Costs” for different facility types.The Lifecycle Costing Analysis identifies and evaluates the estimated funding requirements foritems requiring replacement in the future.

The key finding from this Lifecycle Costing analysis is that an appropriate “sinking fund”provision for major works and capital replacement is approximately 2% per annum of the initialasset value. It is highlighted that this amount is in addition to annual proactive and reactivemaintenance provisions.

It is important to note that asset replacement requirements are not annually uniform and willrequire higher commitments in some years as more expensive assets require replacement.Centres that have adequately funded asset replacement regimes continue to be wellpresented and operate efficiently well after they are opened. Importantly they continue toattract similar levels of customers throughout their effective life and deliver stable levels offinancial performance.

Case Study Example

As part of a redevelopment planning process for Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre(APARC) in 2013, the Consulting Team completed a detailed condition audit of the asset.APARC, which opened in 1993 at a cost of $10M, is a multi-purpose community ALC withindoor and outdoor aquatic spaces, health and wellness areas and indoor sports courts. Asummary of identified “make good” works is:

High priority (immediate) works of $2.9M and medium.

Low priority (two to ten year) works of $5.2M.

Based on this summary, it is identified that the high priority work costs were 2.9% of the initialasset cost per annum.


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CoGG Lifecycle Costs

The table below demonstrates the estimated lifecycle cost for current and future facilities. Theasset values are indicative based on the current cost of centres of similar scale and elementalcomponents. The estimated value is based on completion of recommended projectdevelopments within in this strategy. An allowance of 1% of asset value has been made toindicatively identify the potential funding requirements over the next 40 years.

Centre Estimated ValueAverage AnnualLifecycle Cost

Allowance40 Year Cost

BASC $35,000,000 $350,000 $14,000,000Kardinia Aquatic Centre $10,000,000 $100,000 $4,000,000Lara Swimming Pool $5,000,000 $50,000 $2,000,000Leisurelink $60,000,000 $600,000 $24,000,000Northern ARC $46,000,000 $460,000 $18,400,000Splashdown $35,000,000 $350,000 $14,000,000Total $1,910,000 $76,400,000

Table 18: CoGG Lifecycle Costings

6.4 Major Redevelopment LearningsThe following case study information is based on consultation undertaken with managers offacilities that have recently been redeveloped.

Leisurelink Redevelopment

The CoGG has previously experienced the replacement of an “out of date” facility when thenew Leisurelink in Waurn Ponds replaced the old Leisurelink. The impact of this is outlined bythe comparative growth five weeks after the Centre opened, key outcomes were:

A 27% increase in membership numbers to 7,200 (i.e. health and wellness and learn toswim members) and a 65% increase in learn to swim alone with 2,085 members.

A 95% increase of daily attendance to 2,560 visits and a 121% increase in daily income.

While these performance indicators highlight the benefits of a new ALC, these performanceresults are exceptionally high and hence not necessarily reflective of the performance of allnew ALCs.

Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre (APARC)

Key redevelopment facility elements are outlined below:

- New wet and dry change rooms for both male and female and upgraded universaldesign change rooms.

- New front façade, entrance, reception and administration area.

- Enhanced toddler’s water play area.

- Enhanced car parking and grassed areas.

- Enhanced universal design throughout.

- An expansive 485 square-metre gym.

- Refurbished crèche, new program rooms and consulting suites.


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Redevelopment dates: June 2014 to Oct 2015 with dry area from June 2014 to June 2015and aquatic area from July 2015 to Oct 2015.

Overall cost was approximately $11.4M with a $3M Victorian Government Grant.

As part of the feasibility study process, a comprehensive condition audit was undertakenand as a result approximately $5.7M of funding was allocated to refurbishment.

Key principles associated with the redevelopment were:

- APARC is 20 years old, hence a major objective was to renew the facility to maximiseits practical life.

- APARC has a very loyal and committed customer base that has provided specific andconstructive recommendations to improve the facility. These customerrecommendations are central to the project deliverables.

- APARC is an exceptionally successful multi-purpose facility offering a diverse range ofprograms and services, hence the focus is on upgrading facilities for existing programsand services to meet current and future projected demand (i.e. as opposed todiversifying into new activities).

- APARC has in excess of 870,000 visitations per annum, predominantly from the localcommunity, hence business impact had to be minimised during the renewal andenhancement process as business continuity is critical.

- APARC is located in the Ashburton Precinct, which collectively provides a diverse rangeof community services. To minimise impact on this precinct and also the financialperformance of the Centre during the works period, extensive planning for the APARCrenewal and enhancement process was undertaken.

Key learnings associated with the redevelopment included:

- It is essential to ensure that “old” elements are renewed and updated as opposed toonly adding on new components.

- Universal design, enhanced change rooms and improved car parking were criticaldevelopment items.

- Ongoing communication to and engagement with users is critical.

Aquarena Manningham

Aquarena is the only ALC within the City of Manningham (Victoria). The Centre is verysuccessful with in excess of 850K visitations per annum. As an outcome of this success aMaster Plan was originally completed in 2006 with extensive planning work occurringsubsequent to this time. The staged $17.4M redevelopment commenced in 2014 withcompletion in July 2016.

Key redevelopment facility elements are outlined below:

- New warm water pool.

- New administration and reception area.

- Refurbishment of dry (members) change rooms, new group change rooms, newuniversal design change rooms and new change rooms servicing the outdoor aquaticarea.

- New splash pad and outdoor water play area.

- New group training and meeting spaces.

- New wellness zone for allied health services.

- Enhanced universal design and accessibility including air-bridge from car park.


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- Replacement of existing infrastructure including new pool plant, upgrading of waterslides, upgrading of the dive pool and enhanced children services area.

A number of redevelopment options were considered and the evaluation processassociated assessing the following: cost, Council cash flow, financial sustainability andCouncil returns, funding procurement requirements, customer expectations andcontemporary design.

Key principles associated with the redevelopment included:

- Enhanced access.

- Increased capacity.

- Improved amenities to create independent functional areas.

- Diversification into children and older adults programs and services.

- Overall business growth.

- Increased asset life.

Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre (HALC)

HALC is one of four major City of Boroondara aquatic and leisure centres (including APARC),which have all been upgraded over the last five years. Council has spent in excess of $53Mover this period and these facilities have been developed in a complementary manner withcluster memberships available to the community. Whilst located on the original HALC site, thenew development was completed in 2014.

Key facility components are outlined below:

- Outdoor 50m pool.

- Indoor program pool.

- Crèche.

- Large gymnasium.

- Two program rooms and a spin room.

Key learnings identified by management include:

- Diverse range of change room options enhances user experience.

- Universal design components maximise access for a diverse range of user groups.

- Provision of suitable car parking is critical.

6.5 Victorian Auditor - General’s Office AuditAn audit of the Local Government Service Delivery of Recreational Facilities was completedby the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office in March 2016. A summary of the key findings andrecommendations from this Audit are outlined below.

Audit Summary

Aquatic recreation centres (ARC) are diverse active social spaces that contribute to localeconomies, and provide job and income opportunities. They have developed beyond beingbasic pools to incorporate water play areas, hydrotherapy and attached gym facilities offeringfitness classes. Childcare facilities are also sometimes co-located with modern ARCs. Whilethese additions can make facilities more attractive to customers, they also increase buildingand maintenance costs. The relatively low return on investment means the private sector haslimited interest in this area.


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Conclusion

The examined ARCs are generally well planned and managed, and all six audited councilsused feasibility studies and business cases to support their development. However, mostARC operations are heavily subsidised by councils who are reliant on grants or other sourcesof income for new developments and the refurbishment of existing facilities.

The cost of providing ARCs should be balanced against social and other communityoutcomes, however, none of the audited councils effectively evaluate their ARC services todetermine how well they are meeting needs and the council’s broader social, health andwellbeing objectives. Similarly, SRV needs to improve its monitoring and reporting on theoutcomes of ARC-related grants to provide greater assurance that grants to councils areachieving their intended objectives.

Recommendations

The following key recommendations were made:

1. Councils should improve aquatic recreation centre monitoring, reporting and evaluationactivities so that they can demonstrate the achievement of council objectives andoutcomes.

2. Sport and Recreation Victoria should improve its monitoring, reporting and evaluation ofaquatic recreation centre related grants to provide assurance these are achieving theirintended outcomes.

3. Sport and Recreation Victoria should assist councils to improve regional strategic planningrelating to aquatic recreation centres so that developments and refurbishments are wellcoordinated and regional needs and impacts are appropriately considered.

4. Sport and Recreation Victoria should require councils to demonstrate effective regionalplanning to be eligible for government grants.

5. Sport and Recreation Victoria should, in conjunction with councils, update its recreationalfacilities database and drive the development of aquatic recreation centre regional plansfor all of Victoria—which identify areas requiring refurbishment, replacement, and thedevelopment of new aquatic recreation centres.

6.6 Other TrendsAdditional trends associated with: community benefit, operation, environmentally sustainabledesign, retention and the health and fitness industry structure are outlined in Appendix K.


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7 Guiding Principles7.1 Framework for Future Development and Operation

Based on the key findings and consultation with Council officers, the following GuidingPrinciples have been identified to guide the future provision and operation of aquatic andleisure infrastructure in the Geelong Region.

Enhancing Community Health, Well-Being and Social Connection

Participation in sport, recreation and leisure activities has long been recognized as animportant contributor to community health and wellbeing. These benefits include improvedphysical and mental health and higher levels of community connectedness.

To enhance whole of community use and maximize community wellbeing our centres mustprovide services and places that encourage community interaction, social connection anda sense of belonging.

Equitable Access to Facilities

Facility provision across the Geelong Region should ensure that all members of thecommunity should have a similar opportunity and ability to access aquatic and leisurefacilities.

From a functional perspective, existing and future facilities should also meet the broadprinciples of universal design to maximise whole of community access regardless of age,race, gender, ability or socioeconomic background.

In terms of travel time accessibility, the majority of residents in future growth areas shouldbe as close to an aquatic facility as those in established suburbs.

Sustaining High Quality Facilities

The quality of existing and new aquatic and leisure facilities should be of a consistentstandard across the Geelong Region meeting industry best practice design standards andengendering a sense of civic pride.

Affordable Development and Sustainable Operational

Planning for the development of existing and future facilities must consider capital andongoing operational costs. Funding for developments should take into account thecompeting demands for infrastructure and Council’s ability to finance any development.

Operationally, facilities need to have a balanced approach to the range of services offeredincluding sufficient commercial activities to reduce the funding requirements for annualoperations.

Maximize the use of Existing and Future Assets

A complementary, whole of region approach to facility provision should be taken so thatfacility improvements and developments are considered in the context of overall provisionand can be targeted to deliver maximum benefits across the whole community. Forefficiency and effectiveness, and in to support the principle of affordability, this may resultin some centres providing specialized activities and programs with less focus on theseactivities at other centres.


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7.2 Implications of the Guiding PrinciplesEnhancing Community Health, Well-Being and Social Connection

In practical terms this principle influences design recommendations in three distinct ways:

1. It ensures that the consulting team identifies development opportunities that willencourage more people to be more active more often.

2. Secondly it focuses efforts on ensuring that there are spaces that provide opportunities forinformal social connection and interaction.

3. It encourages the design team and future operators to structure the built form andassociated equipment layouts that will make “first time users” and non-traditional usersrelatively comfortable when they use a CoGG centre.


From a design perspective this principle simply requires that all facilities have high levels ofphysical accessibility for the whole community regardless of physical ability. Key issuesinclude but are not limited to, entry and exit to centres, change room provision, ramps toaquatic areas and provision of warm water exercise areas.

High Quality Facilities

This principle is relatively self explanatory in that it requires all facilities to be of high quality incomparison with contemporary aquatic facilities in other municipalities. The quality must beconsistent across all CoGG facilities and create a sense of civic pride.

Affordable Development and Maximize the use of Existing and Future Assets

The guiding principles of Affordable Development and Sustainable Operations and Maximizethe use of Existing and Future Assets shaped the consulting team’s approach to facility reviewand consideration of potential facility developments.

These principles necessitated that the design team consider development options and deliveryapproaches that require minimal intervention to existing building structures and by extensionreflected the lowest potential cost to deliver the required improvements. This has led to somecompromises to the scale of elements and also resulted in the omission of less importantfacility elements. However, the broad approach to meeting the requirements of the full rangeof guiding principles has not been significantly compromised.

Sustainable Operations

In relation to Sustainable Operations the approach is to identify opportunities to increaserevenue through improvements and expansion to the key net revenue generating areas ofhealth and fitness (gym, group fitness and program rules), learn to swim (program pools) andto a lesser extent water play areas.

The preliminary analysis of provision in the region suggests that redevelopment of Leisurelinkprovides the most balanced approach to service provision considering each of the guidingprinciples. The analysis of this issue is undertaken in Section 8.2 of this report.


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7.3 Findings – Broard Assessment of Guiding PrinciplesIn undertaking the review of facilities and services at a site-specific level a number of broadthemes relative to the Swim Sport Leisure network of facilities were identified. The keyfindings are as follows:

The travel analysis undertaken in Section 4.1 of this reported and illustrated in Appendix Isuggest that service provision and accessibility in terms of travel time to aquatic facilitiesacross the municipality is adequate and there is no need for additional facilities within thewindow of this strategy. However as noted elsewhere the potential future population growth inthe North and Western Growth areas which could potentially add 100,000 people to the area islikely to necessitate the development of a new aquatic and leisure centre in North/West region.However this is outside the strategy time frame.

Provision for people with disabilities and mobility issues is poor across the network. There areissues of non-compliance at a number of centres including non-compliant change rooms, aninadequate number of change rooms and a lack of compliant access ramps to aquatic spaces.Specifically Splashdown, Waterworld, Kardinia Aquatic Centre and Lara Swimming Pool donot comply with disability access requirements of the Disability (Access to Premises –Buildings) Standards 2010. Further, accessibility within health and fitness areas does notreflect universal design requirements.

The current provision for people with disabilities and mobility issues represents a significantcomprise to the guiding principles of:

Enhancing Community Health, Well Being and Social Connection.


Most new facilities now incorporate either a hydrotherapy pool or a warm water exercise pool.This is in response to the ageing population and greater understanding of the benefits ofaquatic exercise for rehabilitation, injury prevention, pain management and weight control.Users that typically access these facilities include people with disabilities, people with chronicweight issues, older adults and people undertaking rehabilitation. Provision of warm waterexercise options is delivered only at Leisurelink. This represents a significant gap in theprovision of facilities and services for special needs users and represents a significantcompromise to the guiding principles of:



Facility quality across the network is inconsistent. Leisurelink and BASC are comparable withindustry leading aquatic and leisure facilities. Whilst Splashdown and Waterworld are incomparatively poor condition and lack facility elements included in contemporary aquatic andleisure facilities, aspects of the centres are at the end of effective life and are not consistentwith customer expectations.

Redevelopment of these centres is a priority in order to address the following guidingprinciples:



High quality Facilities.

Sustainable operations.


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Leisurelink and Armstrong Creek

Analysis of current facility provision identified that there was no requirement for additionalaquatic centres to service the existing community. However, future population growth in theArmstrong Creek area necessitated analysis of provision to service the community in thatarea. Armstrong Creek is less than 10 km from Leisurelink. This will place much of thecommunity in the primary catchment of Leisurelink. Consequently, the key question to beaddressed is whether a new centre is developed within the Armstrong Creek area to servicethe future population or whether Leisurelink is redeveloped to cater for future growth.

The potential requirement for development of an aquatic and leisure centre in ArmstrongCreek has significant implications on overall capital cost and ongoing sustainability ofoperations. Capital costs of the strategy will be driven up if a centre is developed atArmstrong Creek thus affecting overall affordability of the strategy. Similarly, a centre inArmstrong Creek will draw existing customers from Leisurelink, which will negatively impact,on financial performance at that centres. The provision of an aquatic centre at ArmstrongCreek will assist with provision for the Surf Coast community. However, it will come at asignificant cost to CoGG.


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8 Detailed Options AssessmentA key to identifying the development requirements across the network has included a specificassessment at each site as well as a broad assessment across the network. Two tables havebeen developed for each centre. The first is an assessment of centres against the guidingprinciples and the identification of key gaps. The second table highlights the potentialdevelopment response, the link to the guiding principles and the potential users that willbenefit from each improvement.

Development Affordability

The guiding principle of Affordable Development and Sustainable Operations requires that:“Planning for the development of existing and future facilities must consider capital andongoing operational costs. Funding for developments should take into account the competingdemands for infrastructure and Council’s ability to finance any development”.

In context of this, the consulting team has prepared design responses that have the leastpossible construction intervention on existing buildings whilst ensuring gaps between currentprovision and the requirements of the guiding principles are addressed. However in someinstances facility elements that are desirable have not been included and will need to beaddressed through operational management practices.

Design Development Framework

In developing the original concept plans for each site, the design team considered a range ofcritical factors to ensure that the each centre will deliver high levels of operational functionalityand customer experience. These factors were married with the guiding principles with a focuson developing a concept design that delivers on the key requirements of the guiding principleswithin an efficient and affordable framework.

To maximise the customer experience, the following key issues were considered:

Customer “flow” through centres and intuitive customer navigation.

Customer behaviour and the interrelationship between facility elements, so as to enhanceefficiency and ease of use.

Perception of safety and the “first time user” consideration. This part of the analysisensures the design team considers the needs of those people that are not comfortable ina fitness environment.

In considering operational efficiency, the following factors were addressed:

Maximising staffing efficiency particularly in aquatic areas.

Ensuring emergency plans can be quickly implemented.

Providing sufficient office space to facilitate staff productivity.

Preliminary consideration of resource requirements for cleaning and maintenance.

Requirements for service deliveries and plant maintenance.

Trends in Contemporary Design

Section 6.2 of this report highlights the trends in contemporary facility design. These trendshave also been used to assist with the assessment of CoGG facilities and the potentialdevelopment requirements.

Probable Cost Estimates Note

Estimated probable costs for the options explored in this report have been prepared for initialdiscussion and budgeting only. Further investigation and design analysis is required to verifythis opinion and a suitably qualified Quantity Surveyor should undertake a more detailed


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analysis during the feasibility phase for each of the proposed developments. Exclusions fromthe estimate include: GST, demolition, landscaping, hazardous material removal, hard pavingand retaining walls, up-grade to site services, external or heritage requirements. Noescalation allowance has been made for future works.

8.1 BASCAn analysis of the development options for BASC is outlined below.

8.1.1 Assessment Against Guiding PrinciplesIssues Area of non compliance - Guiding Principle

There is no warm water exercise space for gentleexercise and rehabilitation.

Enhancing Community Health, Well Beingand Social Connection


Change room for people with disabilities isinadequate and in some instances does not meetcompliance requirements.

Enhancing Community Health, Well Beingand Social Connection


Health and fitness spaces are not adequate tomeet demand.

Sustainable operations Enhancing Community, Well Being and

Social Connection

Administration areas are not sufficient to meetstaffing requirements.


The pool concourse is in poor condition. Enhancing Community Health, Well Beingand Social Connection


Table 19: BASC Assessment Against Guiding Principles

8.1.2 Development NeedsDevelopment Opportunity Link to Guiding Principles Potential Service Users

Warm water exercise space Enhancing Community, WellBeing and Social Connection

Equitable Access to Facilities Sustainable operations High quality facilities

People with disabilities Older adults People with mobility issues

Fully accessible changerooms

Enhancing Community, WellBeing and Social Connection

Equitable Access to Facilities High quality facilities


Improve accessibilitythroughout the Centre


Equitable Access to Facilities High Quality facilities


Increased spaces for healthand fitness (dry space)


Sustainable Operations High Quality Facilities

Teenagers Adults Older adults People with disabilities People with mobility issues


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Development Opportunity Link to Guiding Principles Potential Service Users

Redevelop administrationareas

High Quality Facilities Staff

Redo pool concourse High Quality Facilities All aquatic area users

Table 20: BASC Development Needs

8.1.3 Design Development OptionsThe key drivers of the recommended improvement at BASC are:

Provision of warm water exercise space.

Expanded health and fitness area.

Enhanced administration area.

Enhanced accessibility including change facilities.

Design Brief

The design response includes the following elements:

Warm Water Program Pool (200m2-250m2 plus ramp).

Additional health and fitness areas:

- Gymnasium 450m2.

- Group Fitness Room 220-250m2.

- Program Room #2 100-150m2.

- Program Room #3 80m2 (consider option 1a as a 2nd level expansion).

- Dry change room areas.

Improved administration areas.

Accessibility initiatives including additional change rooms.

Concourse repair.

8.1.4 Design Consideration

Health and Fitness Elements

Two options were considered for the redevelopment of BASC health and fitness elements.The first involved development of a second storey. The second incorporated redevelopmentof the existing sports courts into health and fitness areas. This scenario whilst delivering aless expensive option (by some $3M) would require all court activities to be relocated to otherstadiums, which at this stage does not seem feasible. The CoGG is currently undertaking thedevelopment of a stadium strategy. Consequently, it is suggested that this option could befurther explored in the feasibility phase if the stadium strategy highlights capacity for relocationof current services and activities. The floor plan for this option is in Appendix L.

The proposed expansion of the health and fitness areas has been achieved through creationof a second storey. Expansion into the existing car park was not considered a viable optiondue to the already limited number of car parking spaces.

Design Compromises

The preferred areas for health and fitness elements are slightly less than desirable. However,the proposed improvement will deliver outcomes requirement to deliver on the guidingprinciples.


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Development Staging Options

The proposed redevelopment of BASC could be delivered in two distinct projects. The firstrelates to all aquatic and accessibility elements and the second relates to health and fitnessand administration elements. The aquatic and accessibility initiatives are considered a higherpriority than the health and fitness develop. The aquatic developments will provide forindividuals and groups that are relatively poorly serviced at the centre at present. The healthand fitness development will improve current provision for existing customer groups but willnot provide new services to the community.

Probable Cost

A summary of probable costs is outlined below with further details provided in Appendix M.

The probable cost for the proposed works is approximately $14.0M.

The probable cost to implement aquatic components only is approximately $5.3M.

The probable cost to implement health and fitness components only is approximately$8.6M.

The probable cost for the alternate (stadium relocation) option is $10.9M.

Development Priority

Due to the need to improve accessibility and services for older adults and people with mobilityissues the development of the aquatic areas is considered a high priority.

Development of the health and fitness area and the administration areas is considered slightlyless important and is considered a medium priority.


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Concept 1: BASC Proposed Development Option


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8.2 LeisurelinkAn analysis of the development options for Leisurelink is outlined below.

8.2.1 Assessment Against Guiding Principles

Issues Area of non compliance -Guiding Principle

The Winter Garden was conceived as an indoor/outdoorwater play area that could be used all year round.However, during the colder months the area is notperforming to anywhere near its original expectation fromtechnical, customer experience and financial perspectives.In the colder months, the internal environment isadversely affected in three key ways:

Misty rain/fog (owing to evaporation) reduces visibilityand patron supervision effectiveness creating apotentially unsafe environment.

High levels of condensation, which combined with themisty rain, will lead to material degradation.

Internal air temperatures heavily influenced byexternal temperatures, which adversely impactscustomer comfort and experience, participationnumbers and financial performance.

The poor technical performance of the Winter Garden hasreduced the service to a seasonal activity for the warmermonths. Importantly, if the issues are not addressedsignificant funds will be required to simply maintain it in itscurrent state. Refer Appendix N.

Sustainable operations EnhancingCommunity Health, Well Being andSocial Connection


Water play features for younger children in the zero deptharea are only adequate in comparison with other majorregional aquatic and leisure centres. The small number of‘toys’ and lack of variety is one-dimensional and offerslittle interaction and stimulation for young children.

Sustainable Operations Enhancing Community Health, Well

Being and Social Connection

The 50m pool will require replacement in the next 5 yearsdue to rust degradation of the pool structure.


Warm water program space cannot meet demand forolder adults and people with disabilities. The current poolsize is smaller than warm water program pools installed inrecently developed aquatic and leisure centres. It isanticipated that demand for warm water program spacewill continually grow particularly if a centre is notdeveloped at Armstrong Creek.

Enhancing Community Health, WellBeing and Social Connection


Program pool space for swim lessons cannot meetdemand. This will limit future growth and revenuegeneration.



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Accessible change facilities cannot meet demand. Thisnegatively impacts on people with disabilities and olderadults.



Family change options cannot meet demand during peakperiods.



Future growth in the surrounding communities includingArmstrong Creek necessitates the need to considerexpansion of health and fitness area.

Sustainable Operations (in thefuture)

Enhancing Community, Well Beingand Social Connection

Car parking and traffic management currently affectcustomer experience. Future participation growth willexacerbate this issue.


Table 21: Leisurelink Assessment Against Guiding Principles

8.2.2 Development Needs


Replace/Refurbish the WinterGarden

High Quality Facilities Sustainable Operations Enhancing Community,

Well Being and SocialConnection

Children Teenagers Families

Replace the 50m pool High Quality Facilities Sustainable Operations

All users

Significantly increased warmwater exercise space to 250m2

Enhancing Community,Well Being and SocialConnection

Equitable Access toFacilities

Sustainable Operations High Quality facilities


Increase Learn to Swimprogram space

Sustainability Children School groups

Increase the number of fullyaccessible change rooms

Enhancing Community,Well Being and SocialConnection



Increased car parking andaddress traffic managementissuesConsider an alternate entryand exit point for the car park

Sustainable Operations High Quality Facilities

All users

Table 22: Leisurelink Development Needs


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8.2.3 Design Development OptionsThere are two distinct options for the development of aquatic facilities to service the existingLeisurelink customer catchment and the future population of Armstrong Creek.

Option 1

Major redevelopment of Leisurelink including expansion of aquatic areas.

No aquatic and leisure Centre in Armstrong Creek.

Option 2

Redevelopment of Leisurelink to address the key maintenance and operational issues.

Development of a new centre at Armstrong Creek.

Key Issues for Consideration

The Armstrong Creek population is in close enough proximity to have reasonable access interms of travel times to Leisurelink. It is noted that existing residents from the ArmstrongCreek area have a very high take up in usage with approximately 13% utilising CoGG aquaticfacilities, and particularly Leisurelink, and hence are relatively well serviced.

While a centre in Armstrong Creek will better cater for Surf Coast Shire Council Residentsthan Leisurelink it is noted that approximately 6.1% of Surf Coast Shire residents from theAnglesea, Jan Juc and Torquay areas use the CoGG aquatic facilities and that this level ofparticipation is higher than more than ten CoGG suburbs.

The centre at Armstrong Creek is notionally less than 10km from Leisurelink. Consequently,development of a centre in Armstrong Creek will result in two CoGG centres competing for thesame market. This is likely to detrimentally impact on the bottom line performance ofLeisurelink and also limit financial performance at a centre in Armstrong Creek.

The Leisurelink facility, which is the main facility used by Surf Coast Shire residents, attracts inexcess of 890K visitations per annum. Due to the site size and facility design, opportunitiesexist to further increase the capacity of Leisurelink and diversify its services to become aneven more significant destinational facility.

As a result it is concluded that the expansion of Leisurelink, as identified in option 1 below,complemented by private sector provision for health and fitness and aquatic education is likelyto cater for population growth in Armstrong Creek whilst continuing to service the the SurfCoast Shire.

Option 1 Design Brief

Leisurelink

Winter Garden replacement and expansion (600m2).

Replace the 50m pool.

Convert existing program pool and leisure pool into multipurpose program pool (400m2).

Create additional accessible change space.

Create additional family change space, group change rooms and changing places space.

Show potential extension of the health and fitness areas.

Armstrong Creek

No development.


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Option 2 Design Brief

Leisurelink

Refurbish and replace 50m pool.

Winter Garden replacement.

Additional accessible change space.

Armstrong Creek

Main pool - 25m x 8 with spectator seating.

Warm Water Program Pool - 150 m2.

Learn to swim pool - 100m2.

Internal Leisure Water - 450m2.

Outdoor leisure water - 150m2.

Spa, Sauna Steam.

Gymnasium - 600m2.

Group Fitness Room - 250m2.

Program Room 2 - 150m2.

Program Room 3 – 80m2.

Occasional Care/Program Room - 200m2.

Café - 30 people.

Reception - 3 staff and express lane.

Management Offices: 10 -12 staff workstations.

Car Parking: 300 – 400 spaces.

Probable Costs

A summary of probable costs for each option is outlined below with full details provided inAppendix O.

Option 1

Leisurelink $22.7M.

Armstrong Creek $0.

Total $22.7M.

Option 2

Leisurelink $9.1M.

Armstrong Creek $30.2M.

Total $39.3M.

Leisurelink Asset Replacement Requirements - Cost Implications

Regardless of which option is adopted, the replacement of the 50m pool shell and thereplacement of the Winter Garden will be required within the next 5 -10 years. These twoissued combined will cost approximately $8.5M in current day terms. These are costs thatcannot be avoided. If we remove these costs from Leisurelink option 1 then the real costs ofincreasing capacity to meet population growth and enhancing accessibility is in the vicinity of$14.2M.


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The need to address maintenance issues at Leisurelink and improve accessibility combinedwith the need to increase capacity to meet future population growth in Armstrong Creek makesredevelopment of Leisurelink Option 1 a high priority.

Due to the close proximity of Armstrong Creek and the recommended Option 1 majorredevelopment of Leisurelink, the development of a centre at Armstrong Creek (Option 2) isconsidered a low priority. However, should Council implement the Option 2 redevelopment atLeisurelink, the priority for the development of an aquatic facility at Armstrong Creek will behigh.


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Concept 2: Option 1 - Proposed Leisurelink Development


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Concept 3: Option 2 - Leisurelink and Armstrong Creek Development


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Concept 4: Option 2 - Leisurelink and Armstrong Creek Development

Aquatic and Leisure Infrastructure StrategyCity of Greater Geelong

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8.3 SplashdownAn analysis of the development options for Splashdown is outlined below.


Issues Area of Non Compliance - GuidingPrinciple

The quality of Splashdown in comparison with BellarineAquatic Sport Centre and Leisurelink is poor. Poor qualityfacilities perform worse in terms of overall participationand financial performance. This is particularly relevant forthe health and fitness area where there is significantmarket competition and consumer choice.

High Quality Facilities Sustainable Operations

Access to, and within change rooms do not meetrequirements of the Disability (Access to Premises –Buildings) Standards 2010.


Equitable Access to Facilities High Quality Facilities

There are inadequate accessible change rooms to complywith the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings)Standards 2010.



Access to aquatic spaces is non compliant with Disability(Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010.



The current lift/elevator to the upper floor does not complywith the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings)Standards 2010. Consequently, access to health andfitness programs and facilities is non compliant.



There is no warm water exercise area. This combinedwith the lack of ramp access to aquatic spacesdisadvantages facility access for people with disabilitiesand mobility issues. This includes older adults and peopleundertaking rehabilitation.



There is a lack of program room space. This impactsservice provision for all customer segments and has adetrimental effect on participation and financialperformance.


Equitable Access to Facilities Sustainable Operations

Administration areas are very poor in comparison withcontemporary aquatic facilities including BASC andLeisurelink. This impacts operational efficiency andeffectiveness.

Sustaining High quality Facilities Sustainable Operations

There is a lack of storage throughout the centre. Sustaining High Quality Facilities


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Issues Area of Non Compliance - GuidingPrinciple

The cafe and entry foyer are poor in comparison withcontemporary facilities. There is cafe area or space forsocial interaction. The retail area is sub standard. Thereare no options for self entry.


Equitable Access to Facilities Sustainable Operations High Quality Facilities

Family change room provision is poor. Enhancing Community Health, WellBeing and Social Connection

Equitable Access to Facilities Sustaining High Quality Facilities

There are no group change and family room facilities. Thislimits use by families, schools and other user groups


Equitable Access to Facilities Sustaining High Quality Facilities

Table 23: Splashdown Assessment Against Guiding Principles



Compliant disabled accessthroughout the centre –Universal Design

Equitable Access to Facilities Enhancing Community, Well

Being and Social Connection Sustaining High Quality

Facilities


Develop warm waterexercise space




Improved cardio areas –including accessibility to thestrength and cardio areas


Equitable Access to Facilities High Quality Facilities Sustainable Operations

Teenagers Adults Older adults People with disabilities People with mobility issues

Additional dry program room Sustainable Operations Teenagers Adults Older adults

Improved café Enhancing Community, WellBeing and Social Connection


All users

Improved foyer area(meeting place) includingopportunities for self entry


High Quality Facilities Equitable Access to Facilities Sustainable Operations

All users

Improved storage High Quality Facilities Staff

Improved office space andadministration areas

High Quality Facilities Staff

Facility standard throughout High Quality Facilities All users


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to be consistent with othercentres – Leisurelink, BASC


Family Rooms ChangeRooms

Sustainable Operations Enhancing Community, Well

Being and Social Connection

Families

Group Change and familyRooms


School groups

Table 24: Splashdown Development Needs

8.4 Design Development OptionsThe key drivers of the recommended improvements at Splashdown:

Enhancing accessibility and compliance with universal design. Provision of warm water exercise space. Enhanced change options for families and groups Achieving consistent facility quality across the SSL network. Improved customer arrival and customer experience. Enhanced administration area. Improved financial sustainability through an enhanced and expanded health and fitness

area. Improved customer experience.

Design Brief

The design response includes the following elements:

Fully DDA compliant. Redevelop health and fitness areas and change rooms:- Gymnasium 450m2.- Group Fitness Room 200m2.- Program Room 2 150m2.- Program Room 3 80m2. New warm water program pool – 15om2 New spa, sauna and steam Group and family change facilities New entry foyer and café. LTS program pool – (refurbish existing program pool include teaching step).

Probable Cost

The probable cost for the proposed works is approximately $10.34M (refer Appendix P).


Due to the gaps in provision for people with disabilities and mobility issues and the relativepoor quality of the Centre the redevelopment of Splashdown is considered a high priority.


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Concept 5: Proposed Splashdown Development


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8.5 WaterworldIn parallel with the development of this Aquatic and Leisure Infrastructure Strategy, the CoGGhas been completing a Business Case for the Northern Aquatic Recreation and Communityprecinct. This precinct incorporates the Waterworld leisure and aquatic centre. Therecommendation development option for the leisure and aquatic centre is Option 1 (as outlinedin Section 3.1) with a summary provided below and the associated “indicative” concepts forground floor and level one on the following pages.

Option 1 focuses on delivering a new leisure and aquatic centre in the north east corner of theNorthern ARC site. The existing community hall will be demolished with a multi-purposecommunity space allowance made in the new aquatic and leisure centre. The existing leisureand aquatic centre will be demolished and a new car park will be built to support the BarwonHealth North Facility and the Northern ARC site more broadly.

Option 1 can be delivered in two stages. Stage 1 does not propose any changes to theexisting library over and above maintenance and repair requirements to continue its currentoperation. The library may be replaced long-term as a Stage 2 project.

The main changes to the Northern ARC site proposed under Option 1 include:

New aquatic and leisure facilities constructed in the north east corner of the Northern ARCsite including a new multi-purpose community space (to replace the existing hall).

Improved interface and pedestrian access between the aquatic / leisure centre, themedical facility and existing library.

The estimated cost for this leisure and aquatic centre development is $46.5M.


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Concept 6: Proposed Waterworld Development – Ground Floor


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Concept 7: Proposed Waterworld Development – Level One


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8.6 Kardinia Aquatic CentreAn analysis of the development options for Kardinia Aquatic Centre is outlined below.

8.6.1 Assessment Against Guiding PrinciplesIssues Area of non compliance - Guiding Principle

The entry foyer and reception area is dated andin need of refurbishment.The lack of connection (collocation) between thereception desk and cafe negatively impacts onoperational efficiency.


Existing change rooms are in poor condition. High Quality FacilitiesWater play pools and equipment, and waterslides are poor in comparison with contemporaryoutdoor pools.

Sustainable operations High Quality Facilities

There is no meeting space/club room. Enhancing Community Health, Well Beingand Social Connection

Table 25: Kardinia Aquatic Centre Assessment Against Guiding Principles



Refurbish/rebuild existingleisure pools and introducenew water play features.Replace water slide.


Children Families

Redevelop entry foyer andreception.


All users

Refurbish existing changerooms and improveaccessibility.

High Quality Facilities Enhancing Community,

Well Being and SocialConnection


All users

Convert existing kiosk/cafe toclub room/meeting place.

High Quality Facilities Group and clubs

Table 26: Kardinia Aquatic Centre Development Needs

8.6.3 Design Development Options

Key Drivers

Improve entry and foyer.

Improve connection between reception and kiosk.

Improved change rooms change rooms.

Update and improve leisure pools and water slides.

Design Brief

Minor redevelopment and refurbishment entry foyer.


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Relocation of the kiosk the entry foyer/reception.

Refurbish change rooms.

New water play (consider integration with the existing water play – consider zones fordifferent ages (0-4, 8 -12), discuss the water slide at Kardinia Aquatic Centre).

Consider wind break at south western end of the competition pool – potential location forclub rooms/meeting spaces.

Replace current slide.

Probable cost

The probable cost for the proposed works is approximately $5.2M (refer Appendix Q).


Due to the seasonal nature Kardinia Aquatic Centre redevelopment is considered a mediumpriority.


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Concept 8: Kardinia Aquatic Centre Development


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8.7 Lara Swimming PoolAn analysis of the development options for Lara Swimming Pool is outlined below.



Components of the centre are in poor condition and requirerefurbishment including change rooms and entry area.


Table 27: Lara Swimming Pool Assessment Against Guiding Principles



Minor refurbishment to thecentre to improve overallfacility quality includingchange rooms.

High Quality Facilities All users

Table 28: Lara Swimming Pool Development Needs

Key Drivers

Improve change rooms.

Enhance the entry foyer and reception.

Minor upgrade to administrative offices.

Other upgrades to improve overall facility quality.

Due to the minor nature of redevelopment and refurbishment at Lara Swimming Pool, planshave not been prepared for the facility.

Probable Cost

Allowance $1.0M (provisional sum).


Due to the seasonal nature Lara Swimming Pool redevelopment is considered a mediumpriority.


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9 Capital Works Program and Financial Projections9.1 Capital Works Program

The tables below outline the recommended capital works program requirements associated with the implementation of this Strategy. The timing for newfacility developments is based on the priorities previously identified. Due to the extent of the capital requirements the implementation plan has been spreadacross a 15 year period. It is recommended that the high priority developments be completed within the next ten years. Following the initial ten years thecurrent medium priorities will have transitioned to high priorities. However, it would be prudent to undertake a further review of development requirements inyear 10 of this plan to confirm the immediate priorities for the subsequent period. Costs do not include GST and are not escalated.

9.1.1 High Priority WorksThe proposed project timeframes associated with the high priority developments are outlined below.

Centre Commence Complete

Waterworld 2017/18 2019/20

Splashdown 2019/20 2021/22

Leisurelink 2021/22 2024/25

BASC (Accessibility) 2024/25 2026/27

Table 29: High Priority Works Project Milestones

A ten year cost summary of the high priority works items is outlined below.

2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2013/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 Total

$2,500,000 $22,500,000 $21,570,000 $757,200 $9,582,800 $1,770,000 $10,580,000 $10,650,000 $354,000 $4,876,000 $85,140,000

Table 30: High Priority Works Ten Year Cost Summary


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A full breakdown of the ten year works cost allocation is outlined below.

Action 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2013/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 TOTAL

Northern ARC

Feasibility $0

Detailed Design $2,500,000 $1,000,000 $3,500,000

Constructon/Renewal $21,500,000 $21,500,000 ` $43,000,000

Subtotal $46,500,000

Splashdown

Feasibility $70,000 $70,000

Design $757,200 $757,200

Constructon/Renewal $9,512,800 $9,512,800

Subtotal $10,340,000

Leisurelink


Design $1,770,000 $1,770,000

Constructon/Renewal $10,580,000 $10,580,000 $21,160,000

Subtotal $23,000,000BASC - AccessibilityIssues


Design $354,000 $354,000

Constructon/Renewal $4,876,000 $4,876,000

Subtotal $5,300,000

High Priority Total $2,500,000 $22,500,000 $21,570,000 $757,200 $9,582,800 $1,770,000 $10,580,000 $10,650,000 $354,000 $4,876,000 $85,140,000

Table 31: High Priority Works Ten Year Summary by Centre


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A summary of the ten year works allocation by Centre is outlined below.

Centre 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2013/24 2024/25 2025/26 2026/27 TotalWaterworld $2,500,000 $22,500,000 $21,500,000 $46,500,000

Splashdown $70,000 $757,200 $9,512,800 $10,340,000

Leisure Link $70,000 $1,770,000 $10,580,000 $10,580,000 $23,000,000

BASC (Accessibility) $70,000 $354,000 $4,876,000 $5,300,000

Total $2,500,000 $22,500,000 $21,570,000 $602,000 $7,798,000 $1,770,000 $10,580,000 $10,650,000 $354,000 $4,876,000 $85,140,000

Table 32: High Priority Works Ten Year Summary by Centre

9.1.2 Medium Priority WorksThe proposed timeframes associated with the medium priority developments are outlined below.

Centre Commence Complete

BASC (Health and Fitness) 2028/29 2029/30

Kardinia Aquatic Centre 2029/30 2030/31

Lara Swimming Pool 2030/31 2031/32

Table 33: Medium Priority Works Project Milestones

A five year summary of the medium priority works items is outlined below.

2027/28 2028/29 2029/30 2030/31 2031/32 Total

$0 $688,000 $7,962,000 $446,000 $5,704,000 $14,800,000

Table 34: Medium Priority Works Five Year Summary


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A full breakdown of the five year works allocation is outlined below.

Action 2028/29 2029/30 2030/31 2031/32 2028/29 Total

BASC (Health and Fitness)Feasibility

Design $688,000 $688,000

Construction/Renewal $7,912,000 $7,912,000

Sub Total $8,600,000Kardinia Aquatic CentreFeasibility $50,000 $50,000

Design $366,000 $366,000

Construction/Renewal $4,784,000 $4,784,000

Sub Total $5,200,000Lara Swimming PoolFeasibility $80,000

Design/planning $80,000

Construction/Renewal $920,000 $920,000

Sub Total $1,000,000Total $0 $688,000 $7,962,000 $446,000 $5,704,000 $14,800,000

Table 35: Medium Priority Works Five Year Summary by Centre

A summary of the five year works allocation by Centre is outlined below.

Centre 2028/29 2029/30 2030/31 2031/32 2028/29 TotalBASC Health and Fitness $688,000 $7,912,000 $8,600,000

Kardinia Swimming Pool $50,000 $366,000 $4,784,000 $5,200,000

Lara Swimming Pool $80,000 $920,000 $1,000,000

Total $688,000 $7,962,000 $466,000 $5,704,000 $14,800,000

Table 36: Medium Priority Works Five Year Summary by Centre


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9.2 Indicative Financial ProjectionsA summary of the indicative financial performance associated with the development of the fourmajor leisure and aquatic centres is outlined below. The outdoor pools have been excludedfrom this review as they are expected to be maintained at a relatively status quo position withthe works being a lower priority.

Key Assumptions

The following key assumptions have been applied to the financial projections:

All amounts are in current day values.

The CoGG financial budgets for 2017/18 have been used as a basis for the projections.

Projections are for the 2026/27 post development period.

The development works are assumed as:

- BASC: aquatics and health and wellness components as outlined in Section 8.1.3 witha probable cost of $14.0M.

- Leisurelink Option 1: enhanced aquatic area and amenities as outlined in Section 8.2.3with a probable cost of $22.7M.

- Splashdown: DDA compliance, health and wellness area enhancement and aquaticarea changes as outlined in Section 8.3.3 with a probable cost of $8.4M.

- Waterworld: a new leisure and aquatic centre on the north east corner of the site asoutlined in Section 8.4 with a probable cost of $46.5M.

The Waterworld financial projections are based on the summary provided in the CoGGNorthern ARC Business Case.

Demand Assumptions

An analysis of current usage levels and projected populations for CoGG is outlined below.



2016Member

TypeNumbers

2026ProjectedMember

TypeNumbers

PercentageChange

Based onSame Level

of Usage

MajorLeisure and

AquaticCentre

Armstrong Creek 3,302 13,539 429 1,759 310% LeisurelinkBarwon Heads -Connewarre - Breamlea 4,493 4,685 700 730 4% BASC

Bell Park 5,320 5,897 270 299 11% WaterworldBell Post Hill 5,203 5,394 292 303 4% WaterworldBelmont 14,262 14,774 1,962 2,032 4% LeisurelinkClifton Springs 7,683 9,075 444 524 18% BASCCorio 15,256 14,915 790 772 -2% WaterworldCurlewis 1,367 3,988 99 289 192% BASCDrysdale - Bellarine 4,482 5,428 370 448 21% BASCEast Geelong 3,971 4,018 629 636 1% SplashdownGeelong - South Geelong -Drumcondra 7,050 8,374 799 949 19% Splashdown

Geelong West - ManifoldHeights 9,873 10,009 668 677 1% Leisurelink

Grovedale 14,779 15,467 1,946 2,037 5% LeisurelinkHamlyn Heights 6,499 6,801 361 378 5% LeisurelinkHerne Hill - Fyansford 3,660 4,647 200 254 27% Leisurelink


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2016Member

TypeNumbers

2026ProjectedMember

TypeNumbers

PercentageChange

Based onSame Level

of Usage

MajorLeisure and

AquaticCentre

Highton - WandanaHeights - Ceres 20,993 23,906 3,232 3,680 14% Leisurelink

Lara 16,004 19,051 875 1,042 19% WaterworldLeopold 12,646 14,811 1,028 1,204 17% SplashdownLovely Banks - Batesford -Moorabool 2,676 3,232 227 274 21% Waterworld

Marshall - Charlemont 2,659 6,289 194 459 137% LeisurelinkMount Duneed 738 4,772 156 1,009 547% LeisurelinkNewcomb - Moolap 6,114 6,613 475 514 8% LeisurelinkNewtown 10,505 10,478 813 811 0% LeisurelinkNorlane - North Shore 8,979 9,655 415 446 8% WaterworldNorth Geelong - Rippleside 4,052 4,503 242 269 11% WaterworldOcean Grove 14,071 15,575 2,734 3,026 11% LeisurelinkPortarlington 3,769 4,456 82 97 18% BASCRural Bellarine Peninsula 2,887 4,074 NARural North 1,787 2,002 NASt Albans Park 5,092 5,273 392 406 4% SplashdownSt Leonards - IndentedHead 3,581 4,623 129 167 29% BASC

Thomson - Breakwater 2,772 2,860 105 108 3% LeisurelinkWaurn Ponds 4,333 4,539 821 860 5% LeisurelinkWhittington 4,143 4,198 280 284 1% SplashdownGrand Total 234,999 277,920 22,159 26,743 21%

Table 37: Projected Population Increase Impact by Suburb

Based on these CoGG population projections (by suburb) and current usage patterns, thefollowing hypothetical participation increases are projected as an outcome of populationchanges only (i.e. no facility developments).

CentreIndicative Population

Impact on IncreasedUsage

BASC 24%Leisurelink 25%Splashdown 11%Waterworld 9%

Table 38: Projected Population Increase Impact by Centre

With consideration to the above estimated population projection impacts, the proposeddevelopments and associated Centre capacity, the following indicative (conservative)assumptions are made for the 2026/27 financial projections for each Centre:

BASC: 20% increase in income and a 5% increase in expenditure.

Leisurelink: 25% increase in income and a 5% increase in expenditure.

Splashdown: 25% increase in income and a 5% increase in expenditure.

Waterworld: as per the CoGG Northern ARC Business Case.


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Indicative Financial Projections

Based on the previous assumptions, the indicative financial projections for each Centre areoutlined below.

1. BASC Financial Projections

BASC 2017/18 Budget Indicative 2026/27Projections Change

Income $3,091,782 $3,710,138 $618,356Expenditure $3,510,888 $3,686,432 $175,544Net ($419,106) $23,706 $442,812

Table 39: BASC Indicative Financial Projections

2. Leisurelink Financial Projections

Leisurelink 2017/18 Budget Indicative 2026/27Projections Change

Income $7,471,823 $9,339,779 $1,867,956Expenditure $8,140,542 $8,547,569 $407,027Net ($668,719) $792,210 $1,460,929

Table 40: Leisurelink Indicative Financial Projections

3. Splashdown Financial Projections

Splashdown 2017/18 Budget Indicative 2026/27Projections Change

Income $2,125,391 $2,656,739 $531,348Expenditure $3,273,431 $3,437,103 $163,672Net ($1,148,040) ($780,364) $367,676

Table 41: Splashdown Indicative Financial Projections

4. Waterworld Financial Projections

Waterworld* 2017/18 Budget Indicative 2026/27Projections Change

Income $1,915,278 $3,970,710 $2,055,432Expenditure $3,913,957 $4,634,326 $720,369Net ($1,998,679) ($663,616) $1,335,063

Table 42: Waterworld Indicative Financial Projections

*Note: the Waterworld 2017/18 budget and 2026/27 projections are as per the CoGG NorthernARC Business Case with full costings including maintenance and hence vary from the 2017/18Waterworld internal CoGG budget.

5. Summary of Overall Indicative Performance

The table below provides a summary of the overall change of the above four Centres.

Total 2017/18 Budget Indicative 2026/27Projections Change

Income $14,604,274 $19,677,366 $5,073,092Expenditure $18,838,818 $20,305,430 $1,466,612Net ($4,234,544) ($628,064) $3,606,480

Table 43: Combined Indicative Financial Projections


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Based on this analysis, it is concluded that for the period from 2017/18 to 2026/27 andsubsequent to the developments of the four major leisure and aquatic centres that:

Overall income is projected to increase by 35% from $14.6M to $19.7M.

Overall expenditure is projected to increase by 8% from $18.4M to $20.3M.

Overall net performance is projected to improve by $3.6M from a deficit of $4.2M to adeficit of $628K.

Annual Visitations

In relation to overall attendances it is projected that visitations for the four Centres willincrease as outlined below:

Centre 2015/16*Visitations

Indicative 2026/27Visitations Change

BASC 449,361 539,233 89,872Leisurelink 891,302 1,114,128 222,826Splashdown 197,068 246,335 49,267Waterworld 283,627 588,009 304,382Total 1,821,358 2,487,705 666,347

Table 44: Combined Indicative Attendances


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10 Summary and Implications for SCSBased on the research and analysis undertaken and the recommended strategic infrastructuredirection, the following information provides a summary of relevant findings and potentialimplications for SCS.

1. It is identified that 6.1% of the Angelsea, Bellbrae, Bells Beach, Jan Juc and Torquay areapopulation are either learn to swim or health and wellness members of CoGG aquatic andleisure facilities. While this is lower than the CoGG average participation rate of 9.4%, it ishigher than 12 of the 32 CoGG suburbs assessed (Note: this participation rate does notinclude casual users of CoGG facilities).

2. The travel distance from Torquay to Leisurelink is approximately 19 kilometres and basedon participation rates, this does not appear to be a significant barrier for usage by SCSresidents.

3. It is noted that the Angelsea, Bellbrae, Bells Beach, Jan Juc and Torquay area populationis projected to grow by 6,129 or 30.5% from 20,105 in 2016 to 26,234 in 2026.

4. A review of the BASC facility indicates that it has one of the highest levels of participationin the country with an estimated 22 visits per annum per head of catchment populationcompared to a CoGG average of approximately 11.5 visits per annum per head ofcatchment population. In 2015/16 BASC operated with a deficit of $463,781 (excludingmajor maintenance works), which is consistent with the consulting team’s industrybenchmarking for the financial performance of regional facilities across Victoria. (Note:BASC is located in a coastal town, Ocean Grove, which has some similarities to Torquay).

5. A key recommendation in the Infrastructure Strategy is for the redevelopment ofLeisurelink (and not the development of a new facility at Armstrong Creek). For SCScontext, the key background to this recommendation is outlined below:

- Leisurelink is a very successful diverse, multi-purpose facility, which had in excess of890K visitations in 2015/16.

- As a result of its popularity, Leisurelink has a number of infrastructure issues that ifaddressed will significantly increase capacity and enhance the customer experience.These current issues include: no permanent warm water pool access for casual usagedue to the learn to swim bookings, the lack of all year round leisure water, limitedprovision of shallow warm water and limitations with change room provision.

- The Leisurelink site has the capacity to accommodate future expansion opportunitiesand additional car parking.

- Armstrong Creek is located less than 10km from Leisurelink, in 2015/16 approximately13.0% of residents were members of CoGG facilities. This level of participation issignificantly higher than the CoGG average suburb participation rate of 9.4%.

- The provision of a new facility at Armstrong Creek would be a more expensive optionthan developing Leisurelink, it would compete with Leisurelink and it would not result inthe diversity of services as proposed for the Leisurelink redevelopment option (i.e. allyear round leisure water, enhanced access to a warm water pool and a diverse rangeof integrated services in the one location).

- The CoGG major priority is for a new facility in the north (Waterworld/Northern ARCdevelopment) and it is critical that all strategic recommendations meet the affordabilityGuiding Principle for future infrastructure development.

- The population growth in the Armstrong Creek area will occur over an extended periodof time with a projection in 2026 of 13,539 hence the Leisurelink development, as aunique diverse destinational facility, can better accommodate this progressivepopulation growth.


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6. The proposed infrastructure strategic direction includes the redevelopment of Leisurelink(as outlined above) and also enhancing Splashdown with improved accessible design,warm water pool provision and improved quality. The redevelopment at Leisurelink andSplashdown would significantly increase opportunities for SCS resident’s participation atCoGG facilities. As an example, unlike currently, warm water pools will be available at allopening times and excellent quality leisure water will be available for families all yearround. These two redevelopments are important in that they also contribute to addressingsignificant issues with current overall CoGG provision.

7. The SCS situation is very unique as it has exceptionally high levels of private health andwellness facility provision, three private pools and unlike many other regional areasaccess to major aquatic and leisure facilities (at CoGG). In the absence of an existingSCS facility in the Torquay region, and being the “last mover”, the SCS has an opportunityto consider any future facility developments in a customised and sustainable manner thatis complementary to existing provision and potential future CoGG provision. A key futureconsideration may be to identify any sectors of the community that will be unable toaccess existing CoGG facilities due to travel accessibility issues, and local private facilitiesdue to the cost of use. This may assist with developing a customised approach toprovision within SCS.


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11 Final RecommendationsBased on the research undertaken, the major Aquatic and Leisure Infrastructure Strategyrecommendations are as follows:

1. That the following leisure and aquatic centre (re)developments be undertaken withconsideration to the prioritisation outlined.

High Priority1. Waterworld Development – a new leisure and aquatic centre as

part of the Northern ARC precinct development.$46.5M

2. Splashdown Redevelopment – DDA compliance, redevelopedhealth fitness area, modify 25m pool to three lanes and a newlearn to swim pool.

$8.4M

3. Leisurelink Redevelopment – indoor leisure water area,replacement of the 50m pool, develop a large multi-purposeprogram pool and additional change space.It is important note that $8.5 million of this is asset maintenanceand rectification works as detailed in section 8.2.3.

$23.0M

4. BASC Redevelopment – new warm water pool. $5.3M

Cost – High Priority $83.2MMedium Priority

5. BASC – expanded health and fitness and administrational areas. $8.6M

6f. Kardinia Aquatic Centre – refurbishment and renew.Lara Swimming Pool – renewal.

$5.2M$1.0M

Cost – Medium Priority $14.8MLow Priority

7. Armstrong Creek – new facility. $30.2M

Cost – Low Priority $30.2M

Table 45: Development Priorities

2. That the SCS assess its future facility options with consideration to the extensive existingprovision, proposed future CoGG provision and other background information researchprovided in this report.

3. It is further recommended that if the SCS is to review future facility development optionsthat extensive community research be firstly undertaken on current communityparticipation levels (including private sector participation), specific need and service gapsin order to understand any future demand requirements. Consulting team note: It is notedthat given the unique circumstances of the SCS and the requirement for a customisedsolution, this research is critical in the decision making associated a significant capitalinvestment.

4. That as part of the planning process for the new Waterworld development a detaileddesign review be undertaken to establish the leisure and aquatic centre component scope.

5. That a more detailed Feasibility study be undertaken on the high priority developmentoptions b) Splashdown and c) Leisurelink.

6. That any future provision for the Northern and Western Study Areas be reviewed when itis identified that populations numbers for these areas will exceed 20,000 residents.


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Appendix A – Aquatic and Leisure Centre Mapping


Page 75


Page 76

Appendix B – Northern and Western Study Areas


Page 77


Page 78


Page 79


Page 80

Appendix C – Growth and Study Area Projections2036


Page 81


Page 82


Page 83

Appendix D – CoGG SEIFA Mapping


Page 84


Page 85

Appendix E – Northern ARC Options


Page 86


Page 87


Page 88


Page 89

Appendix F – BASC Master Plan 2015


Page 90


Page 91


Page 92

Appendix G – Leisurelink Master Plan 2013


Page 93


Page 94

Appendix H – Splashdown Master Plan 2014


Page 95


Page 96

Appendix I – Distance Between Aquatic and LeisureCentres


Page 97


Page 98

Appendix J – Torquay Aquatic and Leisure Providers


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Changes to Private and Club Facilities

Name Facilities2017 Facilities Summary Included In

2009Feasibility

2009 Facilities Summary

Aquatic Gym Group Aquatic Gym Group

RACV Club Day Spa, 18 Hole Golf Course,Fully equipped health club,group fitness studio, spin room,25m heated indoor pool, spaand sauna, children's wadingpool

Includedbut not

opened.

Torquay Sands 18 Hole Golf Course, 25mheated indoor pool, fullyequipped health club

Yes

Torquay Swim School 4 lane indoor learn to swim pool Yes

Anytime Fitness Torquay Fully equipped gym No

Jetts Torquay Fully equipped gym No

Torquay Coastal Boxing &Fitness Gym

Fully equipped boxing gym No

Quay Health Club Fully equipped gym, groupexercise rooms

Yes

Goodlife Fully equipped gym No

Crossfit 760 Fully equipped crossfit gym No

Sally Louise Yoga Group exercise rooms No

Sea Yoga Yoga Studio No

Bikram Yoga Geelong Yoga Studio No

Flow Pilates and Yoga Yoga Studio No

Jan Juc Yoga Room Yoga Studio No

Surfcoast Yoga Yoga Studio No

Balance Studio Yoga Studio No

Surfcoast Mindful Movement Yoga Studio No


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Changes to City of Greater Geelong Facilities

Name Facilities2017 Facilities Summary Included In

2009Feasibility

2009 Facilities Summary

Aquatic Gym Group Aquatic Gym GroupLeisurelink Eight lane 50m metre pool (with

divider allowing for 2 x 25mpools), multi-use warm waterpool, toddler and learner pools,spa & sauna, steam room,theme-park style waterpark,group exercise studios, indoorcycle studio, fully equipped gym,child care

Old facilityopenedwith newfacilityreferencedbut notcompleted.

Bellarine Aquatic and SportsCentre

25m heated pool, toddlers' pool,learners' pool, learners' pool,children's adventureplayground, fully equipped gym,group exercise room, cyclestudio, 2-court sports stadium,and crèche.

Yes - justopened inlate 2008.

Kardinia Aquatic Centre Two 50m pools, diving pool,toddler's pool, learner's pool andwaterslide.

Notincludedbut wasopen.

Table: Change to Aquatic and Leisure Provision Around Torquay


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Appendix K – Other Industry Trends


Page 102

Community Benefits of Leisure and Aquatic FacilitiesA recent study undertaken by Victoria University1 assessed, for the first time, the social andeconomic benefits associated with Local Government Authority ALC provision. The keyfindings from this study are outlined below:

Centre users participate in a variety of moderate and vigorous physical activity thatexceeds the normal physical activity patterns of most Australians. This makes animportant contribution to participants’ health.

Most centre users may be among the truly dedicated physical activity participants so therewould be value for ALCs to attract a wider range of users, especially from disadvantagesectors of the community.

The ALC goals / vision express a desire to address the social and communitydevelopment activities in their operations but there may be economic impediments andlimited resources to pursue these goals. ALCs need to review these goals and theiroperations to determine how they can make the social aspects of their operations a largerpart of their main activities.

ALCs contribute to local social capital but it tends to not be particularly strong. ALCsmanagement may need to review how they interact with their customers to facilitate thedevelopment of community connections.

ALCs are important economic entities in their local communities. They provide:

- Facilities, programs and services for their local residents.

- Employment for local residents.

- Employment for local contractors.

ALCs activities are important contributors to the local community. Users value their visit tothe centre at almost $48 per visit and the centres provide an average $38M of benefits.

The centres generate a return of $7.60 value for every dollar of expenditure. The value oftheir operations needs to be better recognised by the wider community and politicaldecision makers.

Major Operational TrendsThe Consulting Team undertakes ongoing site visits to ALCs around Australia and thefollowing information provides a summary of major operational trends identified by facilitymanagers:

Increased competition (from other sports and leisure activities) can impact onprogramming and potentially undermine financial viability.

Increased costs of energy, staffing and superannuation with energy costs alone increasingby approximately 20% a year recently.

Pressures on local government discretionary spend limiting the flexibility to underpin non-statutory provision.

Ageing facilities and allocation of additional funding to address legacy maintenance andrefurbishment (including allocation of sinking funds).

Increased customer expectations, which may result in the loss of current users and lack ofability to attract new participants.

1 Community Benefits of Victorian Aquatic and Recreation Centres – Victoria University 2014


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State/Federal factors such as funding requirements, planning and monitoring need to beconsidered strategically.

Increased planning for the early determination of issues affecting service. (e.g. servicereview, benchmarking and performance measurement).

A greater focus on establishing realistic aspirations and targets (i.e. a realistic acceptanceof the costs of operating sports facilities and the recognition of non-direct expenditure inoverall income/expenditure financial accounts).

The need to develop economic effectiveness and efficiency of the service.

Greater levels of partnership with other agencies and operators (learning from bestpractice and not being afraid to innovate).

Pressure on income generation requiring a greater focus on market analysis anddemographics.

Targeted marketing and promotion.

Adequate staffing resources. Growth in service provision has to be supported by a growthin staff to deliver the service.

Maximising Financial Performance

In addition to the above the following major points have been highlighted in relation tomaximising the financial performance of ALCs:

The delivery of an exceptional learn to swim program with structured pathways isbecoming increasingly important due to impacts on other revenue areas (i.e. health andwellness competitors). As an example, many large facilities in Australia now have inexcess of 3,000 learn to swim enrolments.

The provision of a recreational/leisure experience for families (e.g. leisure water) thatincreases entry price, maximises the duration of stay and secondary spend.

The development of a pricing model that: encourages membership, is peak and off-peakbased and maximises yield for additional activities provided.

Leveraging off existing customises and maximising secondary spend in areas such as:café, retail, allied health, friends and family visits.

Considering the application of technology (e.g. customer wearables and staff rostering)and social media to increase customer benefit, enhance the sense of belonging andmaximise member engagement. Dedicated leisure and aquatics social media is importantin this day and age in order to connect with the customer base. Being included in theorganisation’s social media can limit that connection.

The provision of programs and services that cater for local demographic factors such as:special needs, ageing populations, cultural diversity (e.g. hydrotherapy and socialprograms) and/or young families.

Developing innovative programs and services that respond to customer need. As anexample provide a weight loss type program that incorporates a healthy eating educationalcomponent.

If health and wellness facilities are provided, it is essential that a point of difference to theprivate sector exists, this may include the provision of a diverse range of group trainingclasses (e.g. traditional classes, small group training, courses and seminars, functionaltraining) together with enhanced customer servicing.

Ensuring an appropriate sales and marketing approach, which is responsive and customerfocused. Allocating resources to marketing and sales is also critical.


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Given that overall staffing costs account to in excess of 55% of total expenditure, theappropriate governance model and a flexible EBA (where possible) are critical.

Ensuring the inclusion of ESD initiatives that reduce overall energy consumption, carbonfootprint and costs is incredibly important from both an environment and socialresponsibility standpoint.

At a strategic level, central to overall financial sustainability is the provision of well-designed facilities that incorporate the elements previously outlined in the Design Trendssection.

Environmentally Sustainable DesignThe design process requires analysis of site-specific environmental conditions to assist in thecreation of a facility that will react to its surroundings rather than impose upon them. This isparticularly important with regards to design of indoor aquatic facilities, which consumesignificant amounts of energy to heat pool water and indoor environments. Solar, rainfall,temperature, humidity and wind conditions must be considered and conceptual energymodelling should be undertaken to help drive design decisions.

The diagram below illustrates the impact that Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD)solutions can have on a buildings performance. All ESD initiatives should be considered withcost / benefit and investment / payback impact throughout, to ensure value up front and duringbuildings life cycle.

Figure: ESD and Building Performance

Utilising the above methodology and considering local resources tariffs, the design processwill entail evaluations of building massing and facade for ultimate energy performance andbuilding maintenance to ensure full optimisation. This is typically complimented by a thoroughinvestigation into water management, bio diversity potential, climate mitigation which incollaboration with the design of building services will ensure a holistic and coordinatedsolution. Passive strategies for ventilation and day lighting are driven by detailed modellingand analysis, and material selection is carefully considered to ensure a healthy indoorenvironment with maximum thermal comfort for occupants.

It is important that a breadth of opportunities are explored in order to determine which aremost appropriate for a specific site. Core initiatives explored as a starting point for aquaticfacilities include the following:

Cogeneration / trigeneration for combined heat and power generation.

Energy sub-metering.

Variable Speed Drive (VSD) pumps allowing pumping to be wound back or ramped up tosuit demand.


Page 105

Heat recovery from pool water and pool hall environment.

Solar water heating for showers and pre-warming of pool water.

Solar PV.

Pool blankets to reduce heat loss and evaporation.

Rainwater harvesting for flushing, pool top-up, irrigation, and the like.

Grey water re-use for flushing, irrigation and the like.

Low backwash filtering (pre-coat) to reduce water consumed for back-washing.

Leak detection.

Learning resources in the form of display screens demonstrating performance ofsustainability initiatives.

Pool shell insulation.

Natural ventilation.

Shading.

Retention and Group TrainingAs a result of the increased competitiveness associated with the health and wellness industry,there has been an increase in research of recent times on individual retention levels. Theinformation below provides a summary of recent retention research findings. The graph belowprovides a summary of the relative proportion of gymnasium only users and group trainingusers over a three year period from membership commencement.

Graph: Gymnasium and Group Training Participant Retention

The above graph indicates the following:

At joining, 49% of individuals participate in gymnasium activities only while 51% participatein group training (Note: this figure can vary significantly based on the group trainingprogram at a facility).

After a three year period, the mix of this group is 28% gymnasium users only and 72%group training participants.

This information highlights the significant benefits of group training spaces in the long termretention of facility users.


Page 106

Health and Fitness IndustryThe following information provides an overview of the health and fitness industry structure andparticipation levels in Australia.

Industry Structure and Size

The following information provides a summary of the gymnasium market in Australia based onthe IBISWorld ‘Gyms and Fitness Centres in Australia’ report.

Currently 3,356 businesses operate in the industry, with revenue of $1.4B annually. Anapproximate profit of $150.1M was recorded in 2015/16.

The major organisations in terms of market share are: Anytime Australia (19.3%), FitnessFirst (18.8%), Ardent Leisure Group (13.4%), 24/7 Brands Pty Ltd (12.0%) and FernwoodWomen’s Health Clubs Pty Ltd (7.3%)

The structure of Gyms and Fitness Centres industry has changed considerably over thepast five years, steering towards healthy growth. The emergence of budget 24-hour gymchains has stimulated the majority of this growth.

Key external drivers include: health consciousness, average weekly hours worked, realhousehold discretionary income, consumer sentiment index and levels of obesity.

Industry establishment numbers are projected to grow at a slow rate over the next fiveyears, with continued growth in the number of budget 24-hour gyms across the countryoffset by the expected closure of some full-service and other independent gyms thatcannot compete on price.

In relation to industry performance in regards to the life cycle stage:

- There has been limited innovation in fitness techniques outside of CrossFit.

- Market saturation means there are only few potential new customers.

- Varied gym structures already tap into most niche markets.

- The industry is currently in a mature life cycle stage.

Gyms and fitness centres offer a range of facilities. General gym activities such asweights and cardio are covered under membership fees. Industry firms also provide moreinteractive services such as group fitness classes and personal training. In addition, gymsoften sell merchandise through in-house stores.

Factors influencing demand in the Gyms and Fitness Centres industry range from practicalissues facing consumers, such as the amount of time and money available for spendingon fitness, to consumer trends regarding the type and amount of fitness activityundertaken.

Gym use tends to decline as people age, as older individuals typically become lesscapable of engaging in strenuous physical activity. People from 15 to 34 years of age areoverrepresented in their use of gyms and fitness centres when compared with theirpopulation share.

The Gyms and Fitness Centres industry is characterised by a moderate level of marketshare concentration with the top four providers accounting for 63.5% of revenue.

Participation Levels

The following information provides a summary of industry research conducted by theAustralian Fitness Industry on health and fitness facilities and users:


Page 107

The general profile of a gym member is: 64% are female, 31% of members are agedbetween 26 and 35 years, staying on average for up to 12 months and visiting the facilitybetween two and three times a week.

During a general visit to the gym 67% of members do a cardio and weights workouts, 34%do a group fitness class while 17% employ a personal trainer.

Central to the retention of members is the provision of a diverse range of programs andservices including group spinning classes. A recent survey of more than 2,200 health clubmembers highlighted the following:

- 60% of club members rate group fitness as a club’s most important offering, higher thanany other service or amenity.

- Multiple group fitness rooms with a range of classes is the second most important factorin making a decision to join a health club - behind 'professional staff and knowledgeabletrainers'.


Page 108

Appendix L – BASC Alternate (Stadium RelocationOption)


Page 109


Page 110

Appendix M – BASC Development Probable Costs


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Page 112

Appendix N – Leisurelink Wintergarden Review

Suite 1, 70 Kerr Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065

Tel (03) 9416 3044, Fax (03) 9416 3232 [email protected] www.williamsross.com.au

Directors Virginia Ross, Christopher Hose, Gray Barton

Bill K Williams Pty Ltd ACN 005 624 868

Leisurelink Gymnasium Extension

City of Greater Geelong

Wintergarden – Existing Conditions

& Future Options Report

Prepared by Williams Ross Architects and BRT Consulting

Issue: V2

November 2013

City of Greater Geelong Issue: V2 | November 2013

Wintergarden Existing conditions and Future Options report Page 2 / 16

Contents

1 Executive Summary –Key Learning’s __________________ 3

2 Introduction and Background ________________________ 4

3 Existing Conditions _______________________________ 6

4 Indoor Environment / Design Response _________________ 8

5 Building Fabric __________________________________ 9

6 Design Response _______________________________ 10

7 Options to be considered _________________________ 11

8 Waterplay ____________________________________ 13

Appendices:

A Second Water play Option ________________________

Date: November 2013

Issue: V2

Proj No: 1319

File Name: 1319_130913 Wintergarden report

All rights reserved; these materials are copyright. No part may be reproduced or copied in any way,

form or by any means without prior permission.



1 Executive Summary –Key Learning’s

1.1 Leisurelink Aquatic and Recreation Centre

The Leisurelink aquatic and recreational centre in Waurn Ponds has proven to be a

highly utilised community recreation place for the people of greater Geelong.

The Wintergarden was conceived as an indoor/outdoor water play area that could

be used all year round. During the colder months the area is not performing to

expectation as it is subject to the following indoor environmental conditions;

- Misty rain / fog (owing to evaporation)

- Condensation

- Internal air temperatures heavily influenced by external temperatures

These conditions have three adverse effects.

- Firstly, visibility is reduced, possibly to the point that the space cannot

effectively be monitored or supervised by pool life guards and / or parents.

- Secondly, the condensation and mist both have moisture that is polluted with

chloramines. These create an acidic liquid that will progressively in time

damage the building fabric owing to the corrosive effects of the moisture and

chemical residue ultimately leading to material degradation.

- Thirdly and not surprisingly the cold winter conditions results in lower user

numbers to the water play areas and the slides are only open for use during the

warmer months.

To remove the risk of condensation and internal rain or fog, the ability of the air to

absorb and retain moisture has to be increased. This can only be done by increasing

the temperature of the air. Increasing the temperature of the air will always lower

the relative humidity of the air.

Options for the action plan to be considered for the immediate future of the

Wintergarden are summarised as follows;

1. No Change – manage user expectations regarding operating times, increase

maintenance and inspection, develop long term plan for replacement.

2. New Mechanical Air Handling System but no change to the Building Fabric –

new plant would operate with significantly greater energy consumption than

normal, lifting the air temperature for greater user comfort however

condensation may still occur on the un-insulated building fabric.

Unlikely to be permitted due to the requirements of the building code and has

further consequential impacts in relation to change of building code

requirements.

3. Improve Building Fabric and New Mechanical System - new plant operating

efficiently, lifting the air temperature for user comfort and eliminating

condensation and fog. Building code requirement to comply with energy

efficiency which has further consequential impacts in relation to change of

building code requirements.



2 Introduction and Background

2.1 Leisurelink Aquatic and Recreation Centre

The Leisurelink aquatic and recreational centre in Waurn Ponds has proven to be a

highly utilised community recreation place for the people of Greater Geelong.

Completed in 2010, it has been successful in bringing together people of all cultures

and generations, and promoting health, well being, recreation and fitness to all

persons.

A key attraction in aquatic recreation and leisure water for the facility is the

Wintergarden area housing both the water play splashpad and water slides.

Leisurelink was amongst the first aquatic facilities in Victoria to include the splash

pad water play area, and the numerous ‘adventure’ play possibilities, particularly the

dynamic big tipping bucket, which continues to be very popular for big and small

children alike.

The Wintergarden was conceived as an indoor/outdoor water play area that could

be used all year round. During the colder months of the year the area is currently

not performing to Council’s expectation and therefore this report is intended to

provide an explanation as to what is happening, why it is happening and possible

solutions to be considered to improve the conditions within the space.

As part of the concurrent scope of service to design and document the Gym

extension Williams Ross Architects have been engaged to review and report upon

the Wintergarden for Council’s consideration into options for its ongoing use and

maintenance.

2.2 Key Project Goals

Key project goals as identified through briefing sessions between Williams Ross

Architects and the Project Working Group are:

- review of the existing Leisurelink Winter Garden facility in order to investigate

and report upon the existing conditions.

- Recommendations on how the facility could be made more usable for 12

months of the year.

- A report on the current and proposed mechanical system, particularly the air

handling / HVAC.

- Review of the current roof design highlighting any issues. Recommendations to

be developed to alleviate identified issues.

- Location identified for future water play equipment area.

The documents provided by Council, together with consultations held with Council

and Centre Management, form the basis of the report.

In addition, the consultant team are to consider how the Wintergarden has

previously been assessed and may be re-assessed under the relevant regulations,

standards and guidelines. Principally how the Wintergarden is assessed against

NCC 2013 (regulations on building access and egress, energy efficiency, and

appropriate occupancy and amenity numbers etc).



2.3 Key Stakeholder Representatives / Users

The existing Leisurelink aquatic and recreation centre is operated by Council with a

full time, on site management structure. Through a consultation process, the

following user groups have been identified for the Wintergarden area:

Staff:

Centre Management Staff

Aquatic Staff / lifeguards

Users:

Water toys > Children (and parents / carers) – pre-school to primary school

age / water toys.

‘Whitewater tipping bucket’ water play structure >Children (and parents /

carers) – primary school age to early secondary

Water slides > Children (secondary school age to teenager), young adults and

‘big kids at heart’

2.4 Consultant Team Details

Consultant Team Company Individual / Contacts

Architect Williams Ross Architects Project Director – Gray Barton

Project Architect – Jonas Lipsys

Staff Architect – Allison Hooper

Services Engineer + ESD BRT Consulting Sam Thorn – Director

Christine Burfoot – Section J

Fire Engineer JP Fire John Papworth - Director

Building Surveyors Philip Chun Building Code Consulting Shane Leonard – Director

2.5 Briefing Process

The review process has involved:

Project Site Visits by Williams Ross Architects and BRT Consulting.

Review of the existing documents, specifications, manuals, briefing

documents, and reports provided to date by COGG.

Meeting with Council representatives and centre management, to review

and discuss the existing conditions and operation, and to discuss functional

requirements and user expectations.

Initial consultations and analysis with building surveyor and fire engineer

Further briefing with Council, including services briefing with BRT

Site Investigation

Area Analysis



2.6 Council Endorsement

This report describes the review into the Wintergarden as considered in the course

of the research during the Concept Design stage. As per the requirement as

detailed in the COGG Leisurelink Gym Extension design services brief, Council

endorsement is required for this report.

2.7 Terms of Reference and Disclaimer

This report was prepared for the use of City of Greater Geelong by Williams Ross

Architects and BRT Consulting. No one other than City of Greater Geelong may rely

on it and Williams Ross Architects and BRT Consulting do not accept responsibility

to any other user.

Findings and analysis are based on external visual appearance of existing buildings

and the proposed site. Subject to these limitations Williams Ross Architects and

BRT consulting confirms that to the best of its knowledge the content provided in

this report are a fair and reasonable description of facility requirements and a

potential redevelopment approach at the time of writing.

3 Existing Conditions

3.1 Original Design

As we understand the original design was intended to create an indoor/outdoor

space for water play. The Wintergarden space is ‘lightly’ enclosed from the less

desirable outdoor elements such as wind and rain but still connected to the more

favourable natural light and warmth of the north sun.

Positioned so as to be sheltered by the building proper from the prevailing south

westerly wind and rain, the space receives the benefit of the north sun through a

tension fabric roof canopy and the largely glazed wall surround.

The Wintergarden function is well situated to be visually connected with the Entry

Foyer, Cafe and Play pool along with its connection to the northern aspect or the

outdoor recreation space.



The space includes natural ventilation at high and low level that is manually open &

closed. The intent of the natural ventilation appears to have been to allow removal

of heat in summer and to provide air flow in winter to minimise condensation. The

high level vents are manually operated from the roof level which is not conducive to

regular operation.

Hence, we believe the space was not intended to be conditioned using mechanical

means as is currently the case.

3.2 Existing Conditions – Evaporation and Condensation

The current space exhibits the following indoor environmental conditions:

- Misty rain / fog (owing to evaporation)

- Condensation

- Internal air temperatures heavily influenced by external temperatures

The misty rain or fog is caused by the same conditions that cause rain in the natural

environment. The presence of the warm (heated) water in the waterplay features

coming into contact with cold dry air causes the water to be absorbed or

evaporated into the air.

When the air is at saturation point and the partial pressures within the space occurs

at appropriate conditions, the evaporation into the air will get to the point that it can

no longer hold further moisture. The water in the air then forms water droplets

which are either heavy enough to fall like rain or remain suspended in the air as a

mist or fog.

This is no different to a fog or mist that can naturally occur over a dam or lake on a

still cool morning.

Condensation occurs when moist air hits a cold surface. If the dew point of the

moisture in the air is less than the temperature of surface it comes into contact

with, the moisture will condense onto the structure to either be trapped by or run

down a material face.

Both of these conditions have been observed on site and occur frequently during

the colder seasonal months.

These conditions have two adverse effects.

Firstly the fog may have an OH&S issue in that visibility is reduced, possibly to the

point that the space cannot effectively be monitored or supervised by pool life

guards and / or parents (or carers) of the children using the space .

Secondly, the condensation and mist both have moisture that is polluted with

chloramines. These create an acidic liquid that will progressive damage the building

fabric to which it comes into contact with owing to the corrosive effects of the

moisture and chemical residue ultimately leading to material degradation.

3.3 Seasonal change to indoor / outdoor conditions

During Summer and the warmer shoulder months we understand from Centre

management that the Wintergarden is far more pleasant for users and instances of

condensation and the misty rain are significantly less than the colder months of the

year.



Whereas owing to the ‘light’ enclosure surrounding the Wintergarden the

temperature during the colder months of the year inside the Wintergarden

approximates the outside temperatures.

Not surprisingly the cold winter conditions results in lower user numbers to the

water play areas and the slides are only open for use during the warmer months.

3.4 Shared conditions

The large folding door into the Wintergarden from the main pool hall are routinely

opened for ease of access into the space as well as to allow the warmer pool hall

air to pass into the Wintergarden.

BRT Consulting recommend against this practice, even though it is likely to raise the

temperature in the Wintergarden, for the following reasons:

- It will increase the potential for condensation in the Wintergarden by the

warmer air increasing the evaporation rate, raising the relative humidity and

having more water volume in the air coming in contact with the cold external

surfaces.

- It will make the pool hall mechanical air handling system more difficult to

control and may be creating a condensation issue in the main pool hall due to

the loss of air.

- It will significantly increase the energy consumed by the building by in effect

trying to condition an un-insulated or relatively poorly sealed space.

4 Indoor Environment / Design Response

4.1 Mechanically conditioned air delivery

To enable an indoor pool space to be useable without the impact of fogs, mist or

condensation, the air within the space needs to be mechanically conditioned or

treated to minimise evaporation.

Evaporation is caused by the partial pressure difference between the pool water

and the air. Temperature difference will impact on the partial pressure of the air. As

the air temperature increases, the capacity of the air to hold moisture increases.

The warmer the air, the greater the partial pressure differential and therefore the

greater the evaporation rate.

Traditionally the design response in an indoor aquatic space is to blow warm dry air

into to the space to allow natural evaporation to be absorbed by the dryer air that

can hold the moisture until it is discharged to outside.

One down side to air movement is that the greater the air velocity at the water

surface the greater the evaporation rate. Therefore any mechanical design should

be designed to minimise air velocity over the water surface.

The air temperature is obviously also important for the occupants to feel

comfortable particularly when they are wet and out of the water.



4.2 Natural Ventilation

In the absence of mechanically conditioned air, the Wintergarden relies upon natural

outside air ventilation to achieve internal air change and attempt to avoid the

condensation and the misty rain.

This has proven unsatisfactory owing to the lack of control over the ventilation or air

change rate, and the need during the colder months to introduce uncomfortably

cold outside air well below the temperature range required by the splash pad and

water slide users.

The ventilation rate could be significantly increased either naturally by opening up

the enclosure or mechanically by drawing outside into the space using fans. This

would assist in reducing the capacity of the air to achieve a saturation point or

condense onto the cold surfaces however this also results in the Wintergarden

effectively being fully exposed to outside air temperatures and would most likely

diminish the participation rate during the colder months rather than improve it on a

year round basis.

5 Building Fabric

5.1 Traditional – fully insulated and sealed

For indoor aquatic spaces, particularly with heated pool water, the building fabric

has an important role in forming and maintaining a stable indoor environment and

working in combination with the mechanically conditioned process as described

above.

The greater the insulating properties of the building fabric enclosure, to separate the

inside air temperature from the outside temperature, the greater and more effective

the following conditions are achieved:

1. Condensation is minimised due to the surface temperature of the internal

surfaces being higher than the external surface that is not insulated. This is due to

the thermal properties of the fabric. The higher the internal temperature the less

chance the dew point temperature of the air will be reached.

2. The energy required to maintain the internal temperature is reduced.

3. If the energy required reduces, a lower quantity of air can be used to maintain

temperature and therefore there should be a lower velocity at the water surface.

Hence, the traditional way to design the building fabric for pools halls takes into

account the following design considerations:

1. Maximise building insulation to all external materials that enclose the building

(roof, walls, windows, floor slabs).

2. Ensure that there are no ‘cold bridges’. Single or combined like conductive

materials that physically connect the outside air to the inside air forming a direct

path for temperature transfer (steel framing, single glazing, tension fabric). Cold

bridges allow for the transfer of a lower surface temperature to the inside surface

that could be below the dew point of the air in the space and lead to condensation

occurring.



3. Seal the building as well as possible to be able to control and maintain the air in

the space. The less warm air lost through ‘leaks’ to the building enclosure the less

energy required to condition the replacement air.

5.2 Building Code - Part J Energy Efficiency

As originally assessed and permitted the Wintergarden is classified as a Class 10

building under the National Construction Code (NCC / formerly the BCA Building

Code of Australia). The implications of a Class 10 structure are as detailed below

however critically the requirements of Part J of the Building Code for Energy

Efficiency are not applicable to Class 10 structures.

Part J of the Building Code prescribes minimum energy consumption standards and

insulation performance values for the full building envelope. These standards and

values are applied to the design of all building enclosures where energy is

consumed for the heating and / or cooling of the air and / or water in the space.

5.3 Shelter – unsealed / uncontrolled

The Wintergarden as an enclosure is effectively a shelter that is relatively unsealed

and of very low insulative performance. Furthermore it is effectively unable to be

controlled in terms of providing a stable indoor air environment.

If mechanical ventilation is to be considered for the Wintergarden, and for

Leisurelink to be considered an ‘energy efficient building’, the building fabric

enclosure will need to be significantly upgraded and essentially re-built.

6 Design Response

6.1 System Design

To remove the risk of condensation and internal rain or fog, the ability of the air to

absorb and retain moisture has to be increased. This can only be done by increasing

the temperature of the air. Increasing the temperature of the air will always lower

the relative humidity of the air.

There are two options available.

The first is the addition of a conventional mechanically conditioned air delivery

system not dissimilar to that already installed in the pool hall.

The second option is also an air delivery system but with an added control system

called the Bauer control. This control system uses less energy than a conventional

system and reduces evaporation by increasing the air pressure in the space. This

system would also have advantages in the exiting pool hall to improve conditions

and reduce energy consumed.

The first option could be installed into the existing Wintergarden, however, due to

the relatively poor performing existing building fabric, the mechanical air handling

system would need to be much larger in capacity and plant than normal and would

consume excessive amounts of energy. The HVAC addition would require an

improvement to the Building fabric.

The second option could only be considered if the building fabric were also to be

improved to achieve a sealed and pressure tested building envelope.



6.2 Building Fabric

If the space is to be heated it follows that the building fabric should be designed to

suit. The better the conditions of the building fabric, the better the overall outcome

will be.

The addition of a mechanically conditioned air delivery system would necessitate a

probable building code reclassification and reassessment of code requirements.

This would likely require the upgrade of building enclosure fabric to meet the

minimum requirements of Part J of the Building Code.

7 Options to be considered

7.1 Action going forward

Options for the action plan to be considered for the immediate future of the

Wintergarden are as follows;

As noted above, to improve the conditions in the Wintergarden to a year round

comfortable, durable and maintainable level the air temperature is required to be

heated. This has several consequential impacts.

No Change

Manage user expectations regarding operating times, increase maintenance and

inspection, develop long term plan for replacement.

If there is no change to either the building fabric or introduction of a mechanical

system the following may occur:

1. condensation and fog will continue causing further damage to the existing

building fabric and all fittings and fixtures within the Wintergarden

2. condensation and fog will continue creating a OH&S issue.

3. cold air temperatures during the colder months will continue along with

diminished use of facility.

New Mechanical Air Handling System but no change to the Building Fabric

New plant would operate with significantly greater energy consumption than

normal, lifting the air temperature for greater user comfort however condensation

may still occur on the un-insulated building fabric.

If there is no change to the building fabric the following impacts will occur:

1. the mechanical plant required to condition the space could be 50% greater in

capacity than would normally be the case.

2. the increase in capacity will have a significantly greater energy consumption and

therefore cost.

3. the increased capacity will cause greater drafts and therefore possible

discomfort to occupants.

4. There are no guarantees that all condensation on the structure will be removed.



5. Unlikely to be allowed due to the requirements of the building code

Improve Building Fabric and New Mechanical System

New plant operating efficiently, lifting the air temperature for user comfort and

eliminating condensation and fog.

Improving the building fabric and including a new mechanical air handling system

will address the internal issues within the space however there are challenges.

1. The building fabric will need to comply with current Part J requirement of the

building code.

2. Changing the building fabric will trigger building permit conditions with regard to

the NCC Classification.

3. Changing the permit conditions and NCC classification will trigger fire safety

issues for the entire building in relation to the maximum permissible fire

compartment floor area.

7.2 Building Code / Fire safety compartments

The Building Code of Australia (of 2006 / now called the National Construction Code

or NCC) details ‘Deemed to Satisfy’ (DTS) provisions for single fire compartments

for all Class 2 to 9 buildings to be a maximum floor area of 8,000m2.

For Leisurelink the main building (Pool Hall, Admin, Gym, Change, etc.) was

classified for the original building permit as a BCA Class 9b building “Place of

(public) assembly” with a permitted maximum of 1,156 occupants.

Leisurelink is designed and assessed under the building code as a single fire

compartment of approx. 7,180 m2 – and has the statutory attributes of ‘single

storey, full occupant egress, hydrant and hose reel coverage, no sprinklers, no

smoke exhaust’.

However the Wintergarden was separately assessed and classified as a BCA 10a

building or ‘Non habitable building’ as is typically applicable to an unoccupied shed

or open pergola structure.

In summary the Wintergarden is;

- approximately 1,150m2 in floor area

- technically does not have a permitted occupancy

- an ‘open pergola structure’ not included in the fire compartment limit on floor

area.

- not required to comply with the majority of DTS provisions

- not required to comply Part J compliance for Energy use and Building

enclosure.

Under Building Code DTS provisions any occupied building larger than 8,000m2 (or

total volume to underside of roof of greater than 48,000m3) is generally is given

‘Large Isolated Building’ status.



Typically implications or requirements of ‘Large Isolated Building’ status include the

following provisions;

- Fire sprinklers to all areas including concealed spaces (roof spaces, wall voids,

plant, etc.) – high cost, invasive installation.

- Smoke Exhaust to large occupied compartments

- CFA / MFB perimeter access ‘all –weather’ road (two-way) around the whole

of the building (6m wide, set 12m away from the building) with increased

hydrant coverage – high cost, land area requirements.

- Perimeter fire service ring main.

For Leisurelink, the implications of any proposed building expansion (greater than

820 m2) or an upgrade and subsequent reclassification to the Wintergarden would

have its floor area exceed the 8,000m2 single fire compartment limit and subject to

the requirements of the ‘Large Isolated Building’ status as noted above.

To avoid the significant cost of the ‘Large Isolated Building’ an alternative that is

typically more cost effective is to provide a fire isolation wall inside the building that

divides the building into separate fire compartments of less than 8,000m2 floor area.

The fire wall is required to prevent the passage of fire from one side to the other

and be independent of structure to each side of the wall, incorporate auto closing

fire doors and has limitations on openings such as fire dampers to all service

penetrations.

In short, the advice of the consulting building surveyor in relation to the

Wintergarden, should it be upgraded and include a change of building fabric, is that

it will require BCA re-classification to 9b, and hence 1,150m2 would be added to

fire compartment floor area. This would have the existing building exceed the

single fire compartment limit and subject to the requirements of the ‘Large Isolated

Building’ status as noted above.

8 Waterplay

8.1 Renewal

The Wintergarden as a recreational aquatic space is principally aimed at children’s

adventure play and includes 2 fully enclosed water slides, an elevated ‘White Water

West’ water play structure with the large tipping bucket overhead and several

individual floor based ‘water toys’.

Whilst the attraction of the water slides and water play structure may have

diminished slightly from the first six months after opening, these elements retain

their sense of adventure play and are to a degree unpredictable in how a child

interacts with each element.

Whereas the individual floor based ‘water toys’ in the Splash pad area are relatively

one dimensional in their activity and do not hold the attention of a child.

An option for Councils consideration to redevelop the area within the Wintergarden

currently occupied by the Water toys is to install a second elevated waterplay

structure. The benefits of a second water play structure in a ‘Young Activity’ zone

(as shown below) are summarised as follows;



- Aim at appealing to and be accessible by a younger child group (pre-school to

early primary school).

- create a significant water play destination to the east end of the Wintergarden

and in sight of the Foyer.

- create a sense of two water play ‘castles’ that allow for adventure play

between the two structures.

The question of accessibility for a larger range of user abilities extends beyond

catering for a wider age group and to the possibilities for ‘Universal Access’. Unlike

the larger outdoor play structure market, as yet the Waterplay market is yet to

incorporate fully accessible elevated play structures into the standard ‘off the shelf’

products. However, the concept of ‘Universal access’ providing greater

opportunities for users of all ages and abilities to engage with the waterplay area

can be significantly enhanced at Leisurelink with the addition of a well considered

second elevated play structure.

Since the provision of the original ‘White Water West’ tipping bucket structure in

2006, the market for water play suppliers and product options has significantly

expanded.

With a larger number of water play manufacturers importing their products into

Australia, an alternative to the existing installation that would fit the brief as noted

above would be the ‘Waterplay SL 200.2 as imported and installed by Park Equip

Australia.



The design intent of the Waterplay SL 200.2 is to provide waterplay for a younger

age group (pre-school to early primary school) having an open wider slide (ie. not a

tube slide) thus allowing parents (carers) or older siblings to easily accompany a

younger child, possibly with restricted mobility up to and down the slide.

The SL200.2 is described as a ‘Splash, Spray & Slide’ play structure based upon a

modular design and multiple configurations that can be adapted to various settings

– refer Appendix A for product data information.



A Second Water play Option

‘Waterplay Solutions’ SL 200.2

As imported and installed by Park Equip Australia

waterplay solut ions corp. | 1451b el l i s s t reet kelowna br i t ish columbia canada v1y 2a3p 2 5 0 . 7 1 2 . 3 3 9 3 t f 8 0 0 . 5 9 0 . 5 5 5 2 f 2 5 0 . 8 6 1 . 4 8 1 4 | w w w . w a t e r p l a y . c o m

Splash. Spray. Slide. Repeat. Waterplayer’s worldwide are cheering for slide activity centres! Featuring a modular design and multiple configurations, this exciting slide line was designed to adapt to any setting.

SL200.2

SIZE SPECIFICATIONS

NOZZLE FLOWS

PLAY ZONES

HEIGHT SPRAY AREA18’6”/5646mm <38’1”x39’2” (11.6x11.9m)

TODDLER CHILD YOUTH• • •

GPM/LPM ENVIRO (LOW) HIGH316/1198 •

• Deck area: 100 sq feet (9.29 m2)• Deck height: 1 - 40” (1016mm) / 2 - 72”

(1830mm)• Target age range: 4 years +

SL 200.2

SL 200.2

• 2 x 360o Spray Cannon • 3 x Activity Spray• 1 x Aqua Globe Bucket• 1 x Fun-brella

deck

• 2 x Double Spinner Column• 1 x Mega Soaker• 1 x Overhead Arch• 2 x Spiral Loop Column

S L I D E F L U M E

F E A T U R E Selevated

• Straight fibreglass double-wide flume with run out

interac t ive movement


slide activity centres: design highlights

modularMultiple configurations and easy customization. With over 13 standard models featuring multiple layouts, play features and slide flumes, slide activity centres are a perfect standalone solution for any project. For those looking to create a more unique play space, Waterplay’s modular design allows you to get creative with our product offering.

contemporaryGreat design creates a strong base for success. Smooth lines, quirky coils and soft curves make Waterplay’s slide activity centres visually captivating for waterplayers of all ages.

adaptableAbove-grade flange mounted columns are fastened to concrete to make Waterplay’s slide activity centres suitable for almost any setting, both new and existing. Installation options include, but are not limited to, plays pads as well as beach-entry, wading and swimming pools.

safeSafety you can see. Creating open lines of sight for parents and caretakers was at the forefront of designing the slide activity centre. Clear polycarbonate panels and mesh netting help maintain an open view while deck panels and extra deep slide flumes keep play in bounds.

slide activity centres: standard featuresDesigned for fun, down to the last inch. All standard features on Waterplay’s slide activity centre models are sleek, contemporary and packed with fun. If you’re looking for a modular, adaptable design that takes the guess work out of individual product selection, look no further than Waterplay’s slide activity centres.

DOUBLE SPINNER COLUMN

Visually captivating, the Double Spinner Column is a fun feature that sends water splashing down to those playing on the slide activity centre. Continuously spinning, this feature propels waterplayers into an exciting watery adventure.

COMES STANDARD ON: All SL150, 175, 200, 300 & 400 models


360° SPRAY CANNON

Offering a complete 360° rotation, the 360° Spray Cannon allows those playing inside the activity centre to spray waterplayers below, beside... or even flying above! Kids love that they control this interactive feature.

COMES STANDARD ON: All models

ACTIVITY SPRAY

Everything in Waterplay’s slide activity centre is build for fun, even the deck! Activity Sprays are fun wa-ter spurts built into the deck floor to create the ultimate splashy experience, from your toes up.


AQUA GLOBE BUCKET

A sleek design with a sneaky purpose. The Aqua Globe Bucket is an interactive dumping bucket that allows waterplayer’s inside the activity centre to splash water onto those below. When not in use, water falls from the bucket through shower holes in the bottom.


AQUA GLOBE COLUMN

The Aqua Globe Column is a tall feature that sends water shooting into the sky. Consistent with the smooth curves and contemporary design of the slide activity centre series, the best characteristic of the Aqua Globe Column is how it brings fun splashes to those playing outside the activity centre.

COMES STANDARD ON: SL175.1 & 400.1 models

OVERHEAD ARCH

The SL 200 Series gets additional curves with the Overhead Arch, a watery pass-through feature that gives waterplayer’s a head to toe soaking with multiple spray nozzles.

COMES STANDARD ON: All SL 200 models

w w w . w a t e r p l a y . c o m

FUN-BRELLA

As waterplayers near the staircase of the slide activity centre, they are greeted with the Fun-brella, a short column erupting with water. What makes the Fun-brella so special is the unique water effect, a sheet of water mimicking an umbrella.


MEGA SOAKERStanding on it’s own as an individual feature, the Mega Soaker is outstanding, when alongside the slide activity centre, the Mega Soaker is spectacular. Standing over 17 feet (5181 mm) high, the Mega Soaker’s gigantic buckets slowly tips over sending a large burst of water onto happy waterplayer’s below. Kids everywhere say the Mega Soaker equals mega fun.COMES STANDARD ON: SL200.2, 200.3, 300.1, 300.2, 300.3, 400.1, 400.2 models

MINI SOAKER COLUMN

The Mini Soaker is a small, sphere-shaped dumping bucket with a splash plate. Waterplayer’s love watching the water slowly tip out of the bucket, splash onto the plate and then splash out, covering everything that surrounds it.

COMES STANDARD ON: SL400.2

SINGLE SPINNER COLUMN

Visually captivating, the Single Spinner Column is a continuously spinning, fun feature that sends water splashing down to those playing on the slide activity centre.

COMES STANDARD ON: SL400.2

SPIRAL LOOP COLUMN

Considered the slide activity centre’s signature feature, the Spiral Loop Column is a stunning coiled feature that shoots water in the sky. While the Spiral Loop Column adds a brilliant visual effect to any installation, it’s main job is to dazzle the kids below with it’s quirky look and fun spray effect.



Page 134

Appendix O – Leisurelink Development ProbableCosts


Page 135


Page 136

Appendix P – Splashdown Development ProbableCosts


Page 137


Page 138

Appendix Q – Kardinia Aquatic Centre DevelopmentProbable Costs


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cogg aquatic and leisure infrastructure strategy plan

Documents