Newsletter on leisure centre

Peninsula residents will receive monthly updates on the progress of the Peninsula Leisure Centre via a newsletter from Gosford Council now the construction has started.

The first newsletter will be distributed this month to Peninsula residents via a letterbox drop.

Council's project manager Mr Peter Hickman said the project was on schedule with the expected opening date forecast for August next year.

The builder, Multiplex, had completed the site establishment and all the initial stages such as construction assessments and soil testing, he said.

"Silt erosion has been taken care of and the temporary road finished.

"The excavation has been done and levels set," he said.

"The sewer diversion is done.

"We've been able to save money there by keeping the old pipe in the ground.

"We're expecting that we will open a month before the swimming season next year, giving us time to train staff."

Gosford mayor Cr Malcolm Brooks said: "It is an exciting time for the project.

"The earth moving equipment is on site and we are right on schedule," he said.

"These big machines will be on site for a couple of months.

"The first foundations will be laid in July.

"It is getting very exciting now that we have completed all the preparatory work.

"Over the next few weeks the site is really going to take shape," Cr Brooks said.

The newsletter will also be used to keep residents up to date with the developments at Umina and Ocean Beach surf clubs.

The surf club renovations, part of upgrades to six surf clubs on the coast, will occur in sequence with Avoca Surf Club set to come before Council in September this year.

With the remaining surf club developments at Copacabana, Killcare, Ocean Beach, Umina and Wamberal, Mr Hickman said Council was planning on putting the tenders out as one tender.

"The developers will likely stagger the building, moving in stages around to each surf club," he said.

"The development application for Killcare surf club is expected to go before Council in August," he said.

He said the preliminary work for the developments would occur this year, with actual construction delayed until after Umina and Ocean Beach host the Surf Life Saving Championships in March next year.

He said it was expected that construction could start as early as the end of March.

Each building is expected to take about six months to complete.

Mr Hickman said early estimates put the opening of the surf clubs as summer 2005-06.

"We'd like them done by November 2005," he said.

Alison Branley, June 24