At last night's meeting, Campaspe Shire Council unanimously endorsed the final design for the new Rochester Aquatic Facility. Shaped by extensive community involvement from the outset, the design includes a 25‑metre program pool with family‑friendly water play elements, a kiosk and social seating area, accessible changerooms and amenities, and landscaped open space. The design for the new facility incorporating flood-resistant infrastructure and enhanced safety features, has also been future‑proofed with supporting infrastructure to enable a splash park to be added if additional funding is secured.
Campaspe Shire Mayor, Cr Daniel Mackrell said the project reflects the community's vision.
"Council has worked closely with the community to develop a financially viable, fit-for-purpose replacement facility that reflects local expectations.
"This is a design shaped by Rochester's voice. It delivers what residents told us they need - a safe, welcoming space for physical and mental health, wellbeing and social connection," said the mayor.
The project has been guided by extensive engagement since 2023 when Council invited residents to help define needs and service levels for aquatic facilities in Rochester. This was followed by a detailed functional brief and, in June-July 2025, a comprehensive consultation program took place. This included online surveys, drop‑in sessions at Rochester Shire Hall, stakeholder interviews and a Project Reference Group of community representatives. More than 150 people attended in-person sessions and 582 surveys were completed, confirming strong support for a 25-metre pool and water play, with provision for possible future splash park.
In April 2025, Council committed $5 million towards construction and will now intensify advocacy to secure the remaining funds, including lobbying the State Government in the lead-up to the upcoming 2026 election. Endorsement of the plans by Council also provides a platform for grant applications and partnerships to meet the remaining $7.9million goal to deliver the $12.9 million facility.
"Council will make this a priority in our advocacy efforts to ensure Rochester gets the investment it deserves," Cr Mackrell said.
