Swimmers at Councils 50-metre pool in Murwillumbah. Council will continue planning for the long- term needs of our growing community.
Tweed Shire Council has voted to progress the proposed Tweed Regional Indoor Sports and Aquatic Centre, supporting a staged approach that prioritises the community's most immediate need while maintaining flexibility for future aquatic facilities.
The original vote at the Council meeting on Thursday 20 August resulted in Councillors voting 4 to 3 to endorse Option 6. This option focuses on progressing the concept design and business case development of indoor courts as the first stage of the project, while undertaking further planning and investigation for aquatic facilities. This includes undertaking an EOI process for a third party to secure funding, design, develop, construct and operate an aquatic facility on land at peppercorn rent from Council.
A Notice to Alter this decision was lodged following the 20 August meeting by Cr James Owen, Cr Rhiannon Brinsmead and Cr Kimberly Hone, which sought to replace that resolution with an alternative proposal that would progress planning for an integrated indoor sports and aquatic centre at Recreation Park as a single project. The Notice to Alter was not supported at an Extraordinary Meeting of Council yesterday at 10.30 am.
The final Council decision follows consideration of the Analysis and Feasibility Study Report, which identified a strong and growing demand for indoor court facilities across the Tweed. The study found the region's population is expected to continue growing and that additional indoor sporting infrastructure is urgently needed to support residents now and into the future. At present, there are no public indoor sports courts in the Tweed, while the Shire is served by one 50-metre pool and two 25-metre pools.
In addition to conducting an EOI process for the aquatic facility, Council has also undertaken to engage a probity advisor as per the requirements of the Office of Local Government's Public Private Partnerships Guidelines for significant capital works projects. We will also undertake an aquatic network analysis to review all aquatic infrastructure and future potential sites for the new pool.
Ultimately, Council recognises the need for both components of the project, the indoor courts and the aquatic facilities, and the resolution allows for the progression of both through different methodologies.
Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry said the decision balanced community needs with Council's responsibility to carefully manage costs on behalf of ratepayers.
"Council recognises the significant demand for indoor sporting facilities across the Tweed and the important role they play in supporting active, healthy and connected communities.
"By adopting Option 6, we can begin addressing the most pressing gap in our sporting infrastructure while taking a responsible and considered approach to future investment in aquatic facilities.
"Of course, we recognise there was strong community interest in the question of a new pool, and we are very supportive of developing an aquatic centre. However, we need to work out where the money is coming from and what our options could be. Our door is now open for all those possibilities to be put on the table.
"This staged pathway is logical because it allows Council to keep the project moving forward, continue planning for the long-term needs of our growing community and minimise financial impacts on residents," Cr Cherry said.
Under the staged delivery model recommended in the report, the Recreation Park component, including the indoor sports facility and associated site, project and escalation costs, was estimated at $109 million, while the aquatic centre was estimated at $51.6 million. However, the report also noted:
"A reasonable expectation that the capital cost of the indoor sports component will be significantly reduced as the design is further developed."
In contrast, the report explained that aquatic facilities are inherently more complex and capital intensive, with greater exposure to cost increases because of this complexity. As such, the $51.6 million estimate for the aquatic centre carried more risk, particularly given recent aquatic centre developments in NSW that have experienced significant cost escalations, including the North Sydney Olympic Pool redevelopment, which exceeded its budget by more than $60 million.
Council will now focus on developing the indoor sports component while continuing to test funding and delivery options for aquatic facilities, ensuring future decisions are guided by detailed planning, community priorities and responsible financial management.
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Photo 1: Swimmers at Murwillumbah 50-metre pool
Caption: Swimmers at Councils 50-metre pool in Murwillumbah. Council will continue planning for the long- term needs of our growing community.
Connection to Council's Community Strategic Plan:
