A committee pushing for an indoor aquatic centre in Daylesford will look to develop a detailed feasibility study by the end of the year after completing a community survey last month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Almost all of the 457 respondents were in favour of developing an indoor aquatic facility in Daylesford, with the 71.6 per cent saying they would use the centre mainly for recreational swimming.
The group, which has already been pledged $400,000 from the Bendigo Bank, will look to develop a plan for how the centre would operate and where it would be located.
Daylesford Indoor Aquatic Centre spokesperson Anita Payne said while the support from the community had been overwhelming, the group now needed to develop a detailed plan to get it off the ground.
“This is probably a process which will take a couple of years all up, we will do a feasibility study which will shortlist land options which might be around and we will develop criteria around that.”
On top of recreation and lap pools, other additions to the centre which are being considered include a cafe, a hydrotherapy pool, a gym, a childcare facility and a group exercise facility.
Six weeks ago the group provided the Hepburn Shire council with a briefing on the concept, however they have not asked for any specific support from local government yet given the project remains in planning.
If given the green light, the project is expected to cost between $9-12 million and will require funding from either state or federal government.
It remains to be seen whether the proposed centre would fall under council control, if it would be run by a not-for-profit group or whether the different arms of the centre would be subcontracted to different parties.