Construction of the Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre has hit further delays and the region’s premier pool is now expected to open in November – almost a year behind schedule.
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A wet winter in 2016 affected initial earthworks on the project, pushing the opening date from December 2017 to mid-2018.
In April the City of Greater Bendigo said the pool would be open by August but have now re-evaluated, aiming for it to be open by late October or early November, “provided no further delays significantly affect the project”.
COGB director of presentation and assets Debbie Wood said wet weather has again halted progress at the pool, adding it was “disappointing it is not already open to the public”.
Read more: Aquatic centre begins to take shape
“There has also been some delay in the delivery of materials to the site and revision of some designs to ensure the facility functions at its best, which has pushed delivery of the project back. As this is the largest project ever completed by the city, our focus has been on producing a quality facility for current and future generations and supporting as many local jobs as possible,” she said.
The COGB expects the main contractor to complete the project by mid-September before pool operators Belgravia Leisure move into the new building, learn how to operate it and train staff.
Ms Wood said the opening date will depend on when the main contractor completes work on site.
“The project remains on budget and anyone who has signed up for a membership will be charged from the date the facility opens,” she said.
Read more: Aquatic name causes a stir
The $31 million centre will include wellness suites, program rooms and an all-abilities warm water exercise pool with an access ramp.
The COGB said the facility will deliver programs for infants to the elderly and an important part of the build was accessibility.
Some of the rooms will also have hearing loops, improving the exercise experience for those with impaired hearing, while mobility scooter charging points will be in various locations.
The pool name also caused a stir. Bendigo council last year held a public naming competition for the new facility, eventually voting to call it the Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre, in recognition of the areas Indigenous heritage.
The decision angered sections of the community, some of whom called for the new facility to be named after Bendigo Olympian Faith Leech.
The existing Bendigo Aquatic Centre was recently renamed the Faith Leech Aquatic Centre in honour of the swimming great.
