Leisure centre delayed, despite $1.2M spent

Construction of the regional leisure centre on the Woy Woy pool site seems unlikely to start before next year. Tenders for the construction are being called this month, four months after construction was originally due to start. Argument over the removal of acoustic insulation from the design, suggested as a cost-cutting measure, has been blamed for the delay. The issue is expected to be resolved at the Gosford Council's next meeting. Peninsula News reporter Alison Branley gives some background to the finances of the project.

Gosford Council has spent nearly $1.2 million on the construction of the Peninsula Leisure centre and not a single brick has been laid.

Out of its budget of 16 million dollars for the leisure centre, expenditure on the program currently stands at nearly 1.2 million dollars.

To date, Council has spent $100, 000 on the demolition of the old site, only one 10th of the money it has so far used.

This was $25 000 less than originally thought.

Mr Peter Hickman, manager for recreation services at Gosford Council, said that most of the money spent so far had gone towards consultants for the project.

"That's par for the course for any development," he said.

He said that two surveys consulting over 2000 people on the Peninsula had been done as well as financial studies.

There were also the architects for the design and engineering of the complex.

"Michael Davies and Associates, one of the top firms in the country designed the complex," he said.

In January this year, Rider-Hunt Sydney Pty Ltd was also engaged by Gosford Council to provide a bill of quantities for the Peninsula Regional Leisure Centre construction.

Payments to the firm were over $100,000 extending its contract to more than three times its original role.

The bill of quantities was used to help define the project for the tender process.

The firm was originally engaged to provide council with quantity surveying services.

The fee increased when the firm was asked to do the bill of quantities as well.

Gosford Council also agreed in principle to support a proposal to install a diatomaceous earth (DE) water filtration system in the Peninsula Regional Leisure Centre, despite being told that a sand filter would be less expensive.

The Council's Water and Sewer Fund will fund the filter with $100,000 in funding as it saves water use.

The consultants estimated that the use of a DE filtration system over a sand based filtration system would cost an additional $100,000 in the construction process.

However, there are additional costs associated with operating the system which are estimated at $23,325 per annum.

The Council also originally budgeted on receiving $1.5 million from the State government funding.

In March this year, Member for Peats Ms Marie Andrews said that council only originally applied for a grant of $300,000 from the Department of Sport and Recreation and were allocated $200,000.

Ms Andrews said a further $1.2 million had been allocated to the improvement of the intersection of Allfield Rd and Blackwall Rd, which was the closest major intersection to the aquatic centre.

In July, Gosford Council attempted to reverse the State Government decision to contribute no more than $200,000 towards the multi-million dollar Peninsula Aquatic Centre

Out of $16.35 million in funding for the leisure centre, $3.6 million is to come from Council section 94 recreation funds, $1.5 million from its financial strategy levy, $200,000 from the NSW Government, $100,000 from the water and sewer fund, $800,000 from the Sportsground master plan, and $1.5 million from the Federal Government. A loan of $8.65 million is to be repaid from a rate levy.

The old complex closed on March 28 for demolition with construction originally planned to begin in June.

The council's website says that construction on the leisure centre will begin in October this year, however Mr Hickman said that the construction could begin in late November at the earliest.

"That depends on the construction company," he said.

Mr Hickman said that council is expecting to receive tenders from construction companies this month.

"We had a shortlist in April, but because of acoustic issues we had to look at conditions on the original development application," he said.

He said that development should be under way by early 2004; construction is expected to be completed by early 2005.

Mr Hickman said that council would discuss the issue of acoustics in the leisure centre at its next meeting.

He said that funding the insulation of the leisure centre would have to come out of the capital works budget.

"That means other things won't get done, like Rogers Park.

"The money has to come from somewhere," he said.

Alison Branley, October 3