Wingecarribee Shire is home to three swimming centre and pool facilities:

• Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre
• Bowral Swimming Centre
• Bundanoon Swimming Pool.

Mittagong Pool was permanently closed October 2023; however it had not been operational for several years prior.

At the Ordinary Council Meeting of 18 October 2023, Council resolved:

• A business case would be developed for the provision of a multi-purpose indoor sporting facility in the Mittagong precinct of the Shire, and a further update be reported to Council in April 2024.
  
  
• An Aquatics Plan be developed those covers (a), (b) and (c) below, and a further update be reported to Council in April 2024.

• A business case for a regional aquatic centre and leisure facility in the Mittagong precinct of the Shire
• Cost benefit and operational analysis of Bowral and Bundanoon Swimming Centres
• Decommissioning program of Mittagong Pool and future use of the site

An update was provided at the Ordinary Council Meeting 17 April 2024, in which it was stated that:

The Request for Quote (RFQ) [for the Aquatics Plan and Business Cases] closes mid-late April, with the successful consultant anticipated to be engaged by the end of April. As part of the RFQ, the 17 July Council Meeting is being targeted for presentation of the draft Business Case to Council for endorsement to be placed on public exhibition. The public exhibition results and subsequent final report to Council are proposed to be made to the newly elected Council – likely at the end of 2024 or early 2025.

At the Ordinary Council Meeting of 18 October 2023 the Community Recreation and Facilities Strategy was adopted by Council.

The draft Aquatics Plan outlines key strategic directions for Council to guide the Aquatics Portfolio. These directions were developed by considering a comprehensive set of data including:

• Local planning documents such as Council’s Community and Recreation Facilities Strategy, 2020 Aquatic Services Review, Local Housing Strategy, South East and Tablelands Regional Plan.
• Wingecarribee community demographics of Wingecarribee ProfileID.
• Aquatic participation trends including National and state data on aquatic activities.
• Industry best practices that have been benchmarked against reports like Royal Life Saving Australia's "State of Aquatic Facility Infrastructure," other council aquatic plans, and market assessments.
• Existing facilities were analysed through a provision and demand analysis.
• Financial considerations were informed by operating and financial models.

The Aquatics Plan concludes with a range of recommended strategic directions including duplication and gaps in service provision as well as facility recommendations for Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre, Bowral Swimming Centre and Bundanoon Swimming Pool.

Following a competitive RFQ process, SGL Consulting was engaged to prepare the Aquatics Plan, Business Case for Regional Aquatic Facility and Business Case for Multipurpose Indoor Sports Facility. SGL Consulting is an innovative and progressive planning practice specialising in leisure, sport, tourism and community facility projects.

It cost $84,000 to develop the Aquatics Plan and Business Cases

No. The breakdown of costs are:

• Community Recreation and Facilities Study - $135,000
• Community Recreation and Facilities Strategy - $33,000
• Aquatics Plan and Business Cases - $84,000

Operational cost (that is, expenses minus income) for the aquatics portfolio is estimated at $912,000.

This figure is comprised of the 2022/23 financial result of Moss Vale Pool and the 2018/19 financial result, adjusted for inflation at 5%/year, for Bowral, Mittagong, and Bundanoon Pools. The 2018/19 financial year has been used as it was the last full year for which Mittagong Pool was open.

Further to the operational costs, the aquatics portfolio also incurs an annual depreciation cost of $473,000.

The Aquatics Plan recommends the closure of Bundanoon Swimming Pool upon opening of a Regional Aquatic Facility in Mittagong.

This is because the catchment that Bundanoon Swimming Pool serves is very small and so, despite attendance rates being within the range expected for the catchment size, the facility costs 2 to 3 times more to run than other swimming centres. The Facility was also constructed 65 years ago, well beyond the 50-year life of a pool as prescribed by Royal Life Saving Australia in their State of Aquatic Infrastructure Report, and so it will soon need multi-million-dollar reconstruction works.

The closure of this facility, and so reduction of operational expenses, will also partially offset the operating costs of the new Regional Aquatic Facility.

The Aquatics Plan recommends the closure of Bowral Swimming Centre upon the completion of a Regional Aquatic Facility in Mittagong.

This is because the catchment for the Centre is fully encapsulated by the catchments of Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre and the Regional Aquatic Facility in Mittagong. The Facility was also constructed 55 years ago, beyond the 50-year life of a pool as prescribed by Royal Life Saving Australia in their State of Aquatic Infrastructure Report, and so it will soon need multi-million dollar reconstruction works.

The closure of this facility, and so reduction of operational expenses, will also partially offset the operating costs of the new Regional Aquatic Facility.

Usage of the sites after their decommissioning would be the subject of a separate analysis, however early reviews conclude that the construction of a new playspace or expanding existing ones (like in Bundanoon), or even installing zero-depth splashpads for summer fun, would be a great outcome.

The Aquatics Plan recommends continued operation of Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre.

Yes. It was through community fundraising efforts that Bundanoon Swimming Pool was constructed in 1960. It was then operated by the community for a period of time, but management was handed to Council after it became too difficult.

Bowral Swimming Centre opened in 1971, with construction funded through a combination of State and Council funding sources and community fundraising.

At the Ordinary Council Meeting of 18 October 2023, Council resolved that that Mittagong Pool is to be permanently closed. This was because repair and retainment of the existing Mittagong Pool is not a sustainable outcome. The facility is constructed directly within the High Hazard flood extents of the Nattai River – and is therefore subject to flood waters that are both high depth and high velocity during large rain events. Since 2016 over $6M has been expended, almost 50:50, on asset renewal and repairs to the facility following flooding events.

The construction and operation of aquatic facilities is a significant financial investment – and therefore a high value needs to be placed on striving for financial sustainability in these facilities.

If Council is to proceed with the Mittagong Sporting Precinct, it is envisaged that a facility could not realistically open any sooner than five years:

• Year 1 – Masterplan and Concept Design
• Year 2 – Detailed Design and DA
• Year 3 – Advocacy and pursuit of funding (noting that this this stage could be of indefinite duration)
• Year 4 to 5 – Construction

This represents a best-case scenario and therefore operations at Bowral Swimming Centre and Bundanoon Pool would continue unchanged till at least 2030.

Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre, Bowral Swimming Centre and Bundanoon Swimming Pool all remain open, and everything is business as usual.

Final consideration of the Aquatics Plan, Regional Aquatic Centre and Multipurpose Indoor Centre Business Cases will be by the newly elected Council following the NSW Local Government elections in September 2024. This is anticipated to be at the 11 December Council meeting.

Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre, Bowral Swimming Centre and Bundanoon Swimming Pool all remain open, and everything is business as usual. The Aquatics Plan, Regional Aquatic Centre and Multipurpose Indoor Centre Business Cases do not currently affect school swimming carnivals or swimming club operations.

A multi-criteria analysis was undertaken by SGL Consulting to consider both internal and external factors to determine the potential location for a regional aquatic centre. Three potential locations were considered including Bowral Swimming Centre, Iron Mines Oval and Mittagong Oval Precinct. The multi-criteria analysis has identified Mittagong Oval Precinct as the preferred site.

It is difficult to estimate the construction cost of the Mittagong Regional Aquatic Facility prior to the development of a concept design and quantity survey – however similar facilities have been constructed across NSW (as detailed within the Business Case) and have cost between $50M and $90M.

Combined with the need for the upgrade of Mittagong Oval, remediation of Nattai River, Old Hume Hwy intersection upgrade and implications of the site gradient – it is expected that construction of the Mittagong Regional Aquatic Facility will be no less than $70M, however a concept design and quantity survey estimate is required before the cost can be established with confidence.

The costs associated with the construction of a new Regional Aquatic Centre is not included in the Long-Term Financial Plan or in any Developer Contributions Plans. The construction of a facility of this scale is not viable without significant financial support from Federal and State Government.

It is recommended that if endorsed by Council, a Masterplan and Concept Design is prepared for the Mittagong Sports Precinct for inclusion within an updated Developer Contributions Pan and for it to be the subject of grant applications, both of which will be the primary funding strategy for the construction of the facility.

It is estimated that the Regional Aquatic Centre will have an operational cost of $1M/year. The Operational Plan and Budget for Wingecarribee Shire Council cannot accommodate a bottom-line operational expenditure increase of $1M/year. The Regional Aquatic Facility and Indoor Sporting Facility is therefore only viable if offset with a reduction in operational expenditure or increase in forecast revenue.

The proposed Regional Aquatic Centre is to include:

• A 25m indoor pool and a 50m outdoor pool
• Dedicated ‘learn to swim’ indoor pool
• Outdoor toddler pool and all ages splash pad
• Gym and allied health rooms to enable additional revenue streams

The new Regional Aquatic Centre will be co-located with other dual sided facilities including function rooms and seating for both the outdoor area of the centre and upgraded Mittagong Oval.

New Senior and Junior Rugby League Fields will be included in this space as well as the expansion of the existing PCYC multi-purpose indoor sports facility. Demolition of Mittagong Pool and remediation of the Nattai River is also recommended.

The delivery of these new facilities will create what can be describes as the Mittagong Sporting Precinct.

The proposed Multipurpose Indoor Sporting Facility is to include:

• Two indoor sports courts
• 28m x 15m multipurpose courts
• 3m wide runoff surrounding each court
• Suitable for basketball, volleyball, futsal, badminton and netball

Three tiers of spectator seating (2.4m total width) on two end walls as well as gym and allied health rooms (shared with Regional Aquatic Centre) to enable additional revenue streams.

Gym and allied health rooms (shared with Regional Aquatic Centre) will be included in the facility with services catered for people of all abilities.

The draft Aquatics Plan, Business Case for a Regional Aquatic Centre and Business Case for a Multipurpose Indoor Centre are on public exhibition for a period of eight weeks, from Monday 5 August until Sunday 29 September 2024.

Final consideration of the Aquatics Plan, Regional Aquatic Centre and Multipurpose Indoor Centre Business Cases will be by the newly elected Council following the NSW Local Government elections in September 2024. It is anticipated the Plans will be considered at the Council meeting of 11 December 2024.

You can complete the submission form and share your voice through Council’s community engagement platform, Participate Wingecarribee from 8:30am Monday 5 August 2024.

The Aquatics Plan, Regional Aquatic Centre and Multipurpose Indoor Centre Business Cases will be on public exhibition from Monday 5 August until Sunday 29 September 2024, a period of 8 weeks.

In addition to Participate Wingecarribee, you can also share your thoughts in writing by submitting written feedback to Council during this period via:

• Emailed directly to mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au
• Hand delivered to Council's Civic Centre at 68 Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale NSW 2577 between Monday to Friday, 8.30am and 4.30pm