No grants = no money = no stage two

A staff report recommends Council keep applying for government grants to build stage two of the Regional Sporting and Recreation Complex.

But without spending any council money on more design work.

In July the councillors asked the CEO to report back to the September Meeting (tick) on the design, costing and funding opportunities for the Indoor Centre being Stage two of the Regional Sports Centre with a view to “commissioning detailed design, followed by development approval as soon as possible but in any event before the next Federal Election”.

But the report back has no view to commissioning more design work or a development application.

It says the construction cost is no longer estimated at $28M.

The construction cost is projected at $44.1M if built in 2028, and that’s excluding project management costs and approvals.

Plus:

1/No funding is currently allocated, and

2/ no suitable grants have been identified to date, the report states.

The original concept designs, including the indoor facility and outdoor field, were completed in 2016 for the Tuggerah site.

Then council split the project into two stages and received a $10M Commonwealth Government National Stronger Regions Fund grant.

Council decided the field construction would provide greater economic benefit through attracting events, and that became Stage One.

“Since the completion of Stage One, Council Officers have endeavoured, unsuccessfully, to source funding for the indoor facility,” the report states.

And it says the 2018 design would need to be reviewed to ensure it still meets the needs of the sporting groups and relevant building codes but Council doesn’t recommend doing that.

Currently no funding is allocated in Council’s 2025-2029 – four year – budget for further planning, design works or approvals for Stage Two.

And if there is no budget within three years, potentially, Council would have to review the designs again at a later date.

 

To sum up: no grants = no money = no stage two.

 

Tuesday night’s September 23 Council meeting will show what the councillors will do with this information.