The Beagle Editor
The present chaotic public and council discussions about the proposed new aquatic performing arts and community centre for Batemans Bay, assisted by the yet publicly unexplained reason for the Bowling Club Site purchase by council, is a developing council discrediting story. The multi million dollar purchase of the Bowing Club site coinciding with the 2016 council elections still has many unanswered questions. At the time of the purchase the past and now present Mayors indicated the acquisition was to benefit the shire's residents assisting with the redevelopment of the MacKay Park Sporting Precinct. It turns out now that the purchase is apparently not connected with the redevelopment of the MacKay park Sporting precinct at all and is expected instead to be eventually or potentially sold or even leased for future development. The 2016 pre election comments distributed by council, councillors and the mayor at the time were very misleading giving the community the false image that the Bowling Club was bought for the community and would accommodate community facilities such as ... a hydrotherapy pool.
Since then though council, the councillors have have allowed them selves to be steered and agreeing to redevelop the existing swimming pool site to potentially include all of those key facilities that had been mooted for the Bowling Club site at the time of purchase such as a new 25m heated swimming pool, a performing arts, community centre and information centre simply because they were been advised everything could potentially fit on that existing 50m site. next thing we learn is that there will not be a 50m pool and the Mini Golf has to go. The original plan was to have the hydrotherapy pool facilities at the redeveloping Hanging Rock site however that was abandoned some time after grant applications of around $14 M were unsuccessful
If they had waited a short time the money they now have, $51M most likely could have been used to redevelop the more accessible Hanging Rock area. Attached is the original endorsed Council plan and you can see that the Concept A plan for Mackay Park would slot in perfectly
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