Cr Bockholt comments on community centre approval

Councillors Holstein, Penton and Bockholt had the first meeting with Council staff and community members of the community centre building committee in December 1997.

Council had $1.5 million to renovate the existing centre but after thoroughly studying every aspect of the building it was decided last year that a new centre was the answer.

The cost is about $3.2m.

The Woy Woy Little Theatre was also approved by Council and this will be wonderful for our local area.

It will be used by Woy Woy Little Theatre of course, but also by other theatre groups, dance groups, schools and anyone else who wants to put on a performance of any kind.

Council was keen to ensure that the people living around the centre are inconvenienced as much as possible by the changes.

There will be a vandal-proof acoustic fence and heavy landscaping at the rear of the theatre to protect the amenity of local residents as much as possible.

Council accepted that there might be some short term parking problems but believe that there is no other way of keeping the present centre operating while the new one is constructed.

Council has decided that the Peninsula needs three separate centres to cater for everyone's needs.

This new Centre at McMasters Road will be a pure community centre.

The basketball court will be relocated to the Woy Woy pool site which will become a sport and leisure centre.

Plans for two full basketball courts will be presented to the committee on July 7 and, if suitable, will be submitted for a development application and put straight on to public exhibition.

The new community centre will have an area roughly the same size as the present basketball court for all kinds of community activities, including mind games like bridge and chess which are becoming increasing popular.

There is a mass of storage space so that groups can meet in comfort and store their things so they don't have to cart everything around in car boots.

The pool site will revert to Council control mid-2001 and Council is currently planning a three-stage upgrade.

Stage one will be the two basketball courts.

Then I want to move on to a sports and leisure component including gym, massage, chiropractor and everything else associated with leisure centres.

I believe planning will start on this as soon as the basketball court plans have been approved by the committee and are in the system.

The third stage will be to upgrade the present pools with a view to modernisation and making the area more attractive to the community.

I do not anticipate the stage three to be complete for several years.

The third arm of Council's community plan for the Peninsula is the youth club at the PCYC at Umina.

I understand that the tender has been let and work will commence in the very near future.

The PCYC is coming to see Council in the next week to discuss extra funding to ensure they get the whole centre built together rather than mess around with two stages.

I believe Council will support this, as we are keen to get the centre moving.

It has been a very worthwhile exercise getting all of this on track and I have enjoyed it very much, even though at times it has been very frustrating as we have encountered delay after delay.

The delay has been as nothing compared with the folk at the Woy Woy Little Theatre who have waited for 47 years for a dedicated theatre of their own. Now they have it. Hooray!

I'll be pestering the Council officers to get the tender documentation ready as soon as possible. With good management the centre should be complete by October next year.

Lynne Bockholt