To build the Leisure Centre we purchased $5 fundraiser bricks along with all the others who helped build this community enterprise, which has served Bendigo well for 30 years and is structurally sound. 

It is now facing destruction for the new $35 million Aquatic Centre. There can be no justification for this act of vandalism. Alan Besley, in the Bendigo Advertiser on August 23 made spurious claims about the centre being “under-utilised”, that it “offers very little” and “other options being developed”.

On the contrary, the building has 40 per cent more usage than any other comparable hall in Bendigo. It is not being used because no bookings are allowed.

On August 18, two meetings were held in Kangaroo Flat, one attended by the Lockwood ward councillors and one in support of saving the Leisure Centre. Only councillors Helen Leach, James Williams and Elise Chapman bothered to hear the other side of the destruction story – the latter coming after the conclusion of the other meeting. Barry Lyons and Rod Fyffe didn’t attend to hear local residents.

It would take $4 million to build the existing centre elsewhere and stakeholders are being shunted all over the place. Barry Lyons, Rod Fyffe, Stan Liacos and Alan Besley do not want to contemplate the alternative which is incorporation of the existing building which will at least mean an income from continued ‘hire’ fees. This is a case where more is less, and less is more. 

Why can’t we have the basics and cut some costs? Given recent letters - Ted Coleman on September 6 and Bill Collier on September 8 in the Bendigo Advertiser about the need for budget constraints, the question remains – is the council listening?

Pity all the councillors couldn’t take a walk around this beautiful place and think long and hard before they put up their iconic “bigger footprint”. Councillors, since when have we become so affluent that we can knock down perfectly good buildings? People of Bendigo, please get behind the push to retain the existing centre and let your councillors know it.

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