Willoughby City Council today welcomed a $5m NSW Government funding boost for the Willoughby Leisure Centre upgrade, which will complement a $22.7m Council investment and means construction can soon begin on an expanded project.
On Sunday, Willoughby MP Tim James announced the funding boost from the NSW Government’s Multi-Sport Community Facility Fund.
Willoughby City Mayor Tanya Taylor welcomed the announcement, saying that it will help the Council to upgrade the centre’s indoor sports courts alongside the already proposed and approved pool hall improvements.
“This once-in-a-generation project will transform the Willoughby Leisure Centre by delivering three new pools, an upgraded multi-sport court hall, enhanced communal areas and improved accessibility and sustainability outcomes,” Mayor Taylor said.
“This NSW Government funding injection provides the Council with the support needed to commence construction on this project and also expand the project into the sports hall.
“This will include replacing the wooden court flooring, providing a safer and improved surface for a range of sports, and a new insulated roof and external wall cladding.
“Once complete, the project will deliver a strengthened multi-sports precinct that better serves the need of current and future centre users.”
Once the upgrade project is complete, the centre will provide enhanced community facilities for a range of sports, including swimming, netball, basketball, volleyball and badminton.
It will also make the centre more accessible for key user groups, including women and users with mobility restrictions or from culturally diverse backgrounds.
With projected population growth and growing community demand, centre visitation figures are expected to increase by more than 25 per cent to approximate 380,000 annually, once the works are finished.
The Willoughby Leisure Centre was built in 1990 and includes a 25m long pool, free form pool, spa and sauna, two indoor multi-sport courts and a crèche.
The pool hall improvements will include:
- A refurbished eight-lane 25m pool, providing optimal depths and temperatures for lap swimmers
- A new four-lane 20m learn to swim pool, with optimal temperature and depth
- A new and dedicated warm water four-lane 20m program pool, which will be used for rehabilitation, therapy and fitness classes
- A new spa and sauna adjoining the pool deck
- A new family change room
- An improved water filtration system, to reduce water wastage and energy use and mitigate contamination issues
- A refurbished roof
- New accessibility features for all pools to support people with mobility restrictions
- The indoor court improvements will include:
- Replacement wooden court flooring
- A new insulated roof and external wall cladding, delivering a more comfortable temperature and playing environment for athletes
The communal facility improvements will include:
- A refurbished entry area, which will allow the centre to process around 30 per cent more users at peak times
- New sustainability features, including solar photo-voltaic systems and rain water harvesting, delivering a 5 Star (Australian Excellence) Green Star rating
- A new crèche outdoor area, allowing it to cater for around 75 per cent more children, allowing more young families to use the centre
The project is planned to commence in late 2022, although an exact construction start date has yet to be set. Construction is expected to take around 18 months.
“During the construction process, we’ll be working closely with all affected centre users and stakeholders,” Mayor Taylor said. “There will of course be some disruption during the construction period but we think the final outcome will be worth the wait.”
Photo caption: Willoughby City Council has welcomed a $5 million NSW Government funding boost for the Willoughby Leisure Centre to complement a $22.7 million Council investment.
