Belgravia Leisure sign onto Wulanda Recreation & Convention Centre as officials fail to give grand opening estimate
A major milestone has been reached in but there has been no clarity on when construction of the multimillion-dollar facility will be completed.
Mount Gambier
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As a regional council celebrates signing on an operating partner for a major infrastructure project, there are still questions over when it will be completed and how much it will cost to use $57.3 million facility when it opens.
The City of Mount Gambier announced it had signed an initial three-year contract with Belgravia Leisure to manage the The Wulanda Recreation & Convention Centre.
Mayor Lynette Martin said locking in an operational partner was an important step in the project.
Mayor Martin was quick to assure council would retain ownership and responsibility of the facility.
“This is not privatisation — we retain ownership and control with Belgravia bringing their expertise to the table,” she said.
Belgravia Leisure have more than 30 years of experience in the recreation industry and run 220 sport, leisure and tourism sites across Australia and New Zealand.
Belgravia Leisure SA State Manager Catherine Foreman said that the company was committed to supporting the local economy.
“This means hiring local staff, engaging local suppliers, and keeping regional economies healthy through investing in resources from the area,” Ms Foreman said.
General Manager City Growth Tim Coote said council was unable to announce how much it would cost residents to use the facility.
“Belgravia will work with the local community in the coming weeks to establish their Annual Business Plan and Budget, which will influence the fees charged to users,” Mr Coote said.
“Belgravia will work with the City of Mount Gambier in preparation for announcing prices, which we will do as soon as that is available.”
Mayor Lynette Martin echoed Mr Coote’s sentiments and said council was unable to provide this information at this point in time.
“As soon as entry fees can be shared the Walunda website will be updated,” Mayor Martin said.
The project was meant to be completed in autumn this year but has been plagued by global supply chain issues and the pandemic delaying construction, Mr Coote said.
Mr Coote could not provide a firm date as to when the project would be delivered.
“We know the community is eager to know when they will be able to use this fantastic facility, and we are keen to open the doors as soon as possible,” he said.
“We’re definitely working as hard as we can to get towards the finish line.”
The project has faced its share of controversy after the initial $39.1m budget blew out to $57.3m with confidential documents revealed to The Advertiser last year showing it could cost as much as $64 million.
Last year documents slated to be released in December 2021, were voted to kept in confidence until one year after the centre opened.
Along with a 25m indoor pool, the centre will have six multipurpose courts, clubrooms and amenities, a gym and allied services.
It will also be able to accommodate over 1000 people for special events such as music concerts, special conferences and other conventions.
Those looking to work at the $57.3m project can now register their interest at www.wulanda.com.au
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