Demolition marks next stage for pool project

Brodie Cowburn brodie@mpnews.com.au

A NEW aquatic centre in Mordialloc is moving closer to fruition, with demolition at the site getting underway and detailed designs in the pipeline.

The $79 million aquatic centre will be built at 1-7 Wells Road, Mordialloc, by Jack Grut Reserve. It will replace the permanently closed Don Tatnell Leisure Centre in Parkdale.

Council has scheduled the existing buildings on the land to be demolished early this month. Demolition is expected to be complete in November. Construction is scheduled to begin in the middle of next year, and will take around 18 months to complete.

Kingston Council says its draft concept plan for the pool received a 96 per cent approval rate from 2000 consultation participants. The mayor Hadi Saab said “we have been absolutely thrilled by the buy in from the community, with all of the feedback informing the design and what is included in the centre moving forward.”

“In the latest round of consultation, we asked people to picture themselves moving through the new centre, reflecting on how they will get there, and the areas that they will use, and to also consider the external areas surrounding the centre, including early landscape plans. What came back has given us real clarity on what people want to see and will be reflected in the detailed design,” Saab said. “This project represents a major investment in the long-term health, wellbeing, and aquatic education of our community and it’s exciting to have reached another milestone. It’s vital we keep the momentum going.”

Kingston Council bought the Mordialloc land for $14.6 million. The project has received a $20 million funding commitment from the federal government.

For more information on the project visit kingston.vic.gov.au/newcentre.

Image: THE Don Tatnell Leisure Centre has been permanently closed. A new pool will be built in Mordialloc to replace it. Picture: Supplied