The proposed redevelopment of the St Albans Leisure Centre has taken another step forward with support from both sides of politics.
Niddrie MP Ben Carroll toured the site earlier this month and said he would support its redevelopment, but wants the council to supply a master plan.
“The St Albans Leisure Centre is a much-loved community facility. Like the East Keilor Leisure Centre it was built in the 1960s and has served the community well for 50 years,” Mr Carroll said.
“However the time has arrived for it to be redeveloped, fit-for-purpose for the 21st century.
“I’m looking forward to seeing a master plan for the site and advocating for its redevelopment with the local member Natalie Suleyman.”
Member for Western Metropolitan Region Bernie Finn toured the site with Greens MP Huong Truong and told Parliament an upgrade was desperately needed.
“I had the pleasure of attending the St Albans Leisure Centre with the mayor of Brimbank,” Mr Finn said.
“The CEO of Brimbank and indeed Ms Truong joined us for a tour of what is, to say the least, a somewhat dilapidated and way past its use-by date centre in St Albans.
“The outdoor pools leak, the relatively small inside pool is far from adequate for the needs of the local community, and what is desperately needed is for the entire centre to be bulldozed and rebuilt.”
Mr Finn said the centre had been neglected for too long and implored the Minister for Sport John Eren to grant sizeable funding.
“It is just appalling, it really is. The closeness of those attending the gym, the whole set-up is just so last year that it is just not funny,” he said.
“So I am asking the minister to provide the wherewithal – the finances – which is somewhere between $50 million and
$60 million, depending on whether you ask the mayor or the CEO, for that centre to be built.
“It is, I believe, a matter of urgency, and it is something the people of Brimbank will benefit from greatly.”
Brimbank mayor Margaret Giudice said the council will be making a decision on what aquatic and leisure centre components will be included in the development and will be talking to the community about the plans in the coming months.
