Parents express frustrations over the closure of the Toowoomba Regional Council’s Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre creche

Toowoomba patrons of a busy council-owned fitness centre have expressed their frustrations after new management closed one of the facility’s major services. Details here.

Toowoomba mums have taken aim at a council-owned fitness centre after the facility was placed under new management and closed its creche services.

Toowoomba woman Maddie Stirling has been a member of the Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre and has used the onsite creche for her young child for the past year.

The mum of one said she and other members became concerned when they heard the venue, which is still owned and was previously managed by the Toowoomba Regional Council, was now being run by private company City Venue Management.

These fears then turned to frustration, sadness and confusion when the facility announced a temporary closure of the creche on September 12, just a week after the new management team took over.

Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre.

“(The centre) is a really important space for young mums and for me, it was the only way I got through motherhood,” she said.

“I don’t have any family in Toowoomba so the creche gave me an hour to myself to exercise and that had a tremendous impact on my physical and mental health.”

Applauding the former staff members of the creche, Ms Stirling said the team made a huge difference to her life as a new mum and were like a second family.

Without the onsite care option, she said she would be unable to access the pool or gym.

“Lots of women benefit from (the creche) and patrons really rely on this space as a sense of community, so I do worry about the impact it is going to have,” Ms Stirling said.

“My motivation (for speaking out) is to advocate for the staff who have given so much of their love and time to so many kids and families over the years.”

City Venue Management managing director Jay Clarke.

City Venue Management managing director Jay Clarke said the decision to temporarily close the creche was due to “resourcing challenges” but he was hopeful the centre could offer the service to families again soon.

“We want to assure our patrons that we are working towards a solution to minimise any

inconvenience,” he said.

“While we work on re-establishing the service, we are pleased to offer an alternative

solution – the Highfields Aquatic and Fitness Centre’s creche remains fully operational and

available for use.

“We are actively recruiting qualified staff to join our team and service our families in creche and in other areas of the business.”

The Chronicle understands former staff members of the creche resigned on their own accord, but both members claimed it was due to insufficient wages and employment options.

Mr Clarke said as the new centre operators, he was unable to address any historical issues prior to when they began managing the facility on September 4.

“In response to recent inquiries about our work conditions, it’s important to clarify that

discussions with our staff were to ensure we are in accordance with our CVM Play Zone

Operational policies,” Mr Clarke said.

“The nature of the aquatics industry often involves a casualised workforce, and as part of our efforts to enhance efficiency, we engaged team members in cross-rostering across various areas within our business.”

Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre.

A second mum, who wished to remain anonymous and has using the centre and creche for the past six years, said her and her children had developed a personal relationship with the Milne Bay creche employees which could not be replicated at other venues.

She said the creche cared for children aged between six weeks and 12 years old and she estimated eight to 10 children were looked after each day, which only increased during school holidays.

“Being a new mum is challenging but my first child never slept so I was extremely sleep-deprived,” the anonymous mum said.

“Having that one hour to swim or grab my first hot cuppa for the week from the cafe was so cathartic and I found I was a much more relaxed and calm mum on those days.

“People come to Toowoomba to raise their families so this is a really big loss to the community and it’s especially disappointing for parents who don’t have that support network here … I think Toowoomba Regional Council has really dropped the ball.”

Aerial photograph of Milne Bay Aquatic Centre. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Mr Clarke said the organisation was committed to working with the Toowoomba region and building thriving community centres at Milne Bay and Highfields.

The managing director said the centre was committed to honouring existing membership prices and said the organisation had an exciting vision for its two centres in the Toowoomba region.

This includes the re-establishment of its Learn to Swim program, investment in gym equipment and facility upgrades and fostering job opportunities and youth traineeships.

The organisation will also be holding a community meeting at the centre on Wednesday, to meet with patrons, introduce staff members and address concerns.

“Beyond expanding our services, our unwavering commitment lies in the preservation of a

cherished and well-attended community hub, one that remains accessible and welcoming to

individuals of all abilities,” Mr Clarke said.

Councillor James O'Shea. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Toowoomba Regional Council Environment and Community Services Committee chair James O’Shea said TRC’s decision was made to “ensure the best outcome for our community”.

“Council’s dealings with CVM have been entirely professional – they are seen as the leaders in the aquatic and fitness industry,” Mr O’Shea said.

“As part of council’s decision making, a rigorous process was undertaken to ensure the new operators had proven experience in running and managing community-oriented aquatic and fitness centres.

“City Venue Management has successfully recruited more than 70 of the employees who were previously employed by Toowoomba Regional Council at the Milne Bay and Highfields facilities.”

The community meeting will be held in the centre’s group fitness room on Wednesday, September 20 at noon.