Pavilions progress: Mackay Park update

Sneak peak: ADCO's Mick Butterworth and Nick Lyons with members of the Batemans Bay Indoor Aquatic Centre committee touring the site mid-March. Image: Council.

"Pavilions" is the name likely to brand the overall regional arts, leisure and aquatic centre at Mackay Park, Batemans Bay.

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Australian Community Media caught up with the council's director of planning and sustainability, Lindsay Usher, to see how the build was progressing.

"Construction is going really well, it's within schedule and budget," he said.

ADCO Constructions began work in September 2020. The project should be complete at the end of February 2022.

As you pass the construction site on the Princes Highway, you can see the previous buildings, such as the mini golf, have been demolished. Mr Usher said concrete bases for the pools were complete and the whole building will sit on piles, placed into the bedrock below.

"They have put 450 piles across the site," Mr Usher said.

Slabs poured. Image: Council.

The ground slabs for the theatre and gym were complete with the meeting room and main administration slabs currently being poured.

"It might not look like much is happening because it's not very visual, but a lot of the time goes into what is coming out of the ground and getting the foundation and pools right," Mr Usher said.

The frames for the main building will go up towards the end of April. Brand design specialist, CITIZEN, has the job of naming the facility with the community's help.

"They are looking at a house of brands approach, where there will be a name for the overall precinct - The Bay Pavilions is what we're looking at," Mr Usher said.

Therapy pool water test. Image: Council.

"Then they will break it up into the arts pavilion and aquatic pavilion, and have names for individual components within that.

One of the suggestions made, was for the theatre to be called 'The Yuin Theatre'. It will be a good mix of using indigenous naming along with other naming protocols."

Early in the design process, the community pushed for a theatre with more seating and a 50-metre pool.

However, Mr Usher said advice from industry experts and years of planning and consultation led to the final decision.

"The feedback we consistently got from theatre operators and professionals was that you're better to have a full crowd in an intimate environment than a large room which is half empty," he said.

"The advice we got was a sweet spot of 350 seats."

Mr Usher said the council had already received inquiries from production companies looking to add Batemans Bay to their touring route.

Touring the project site mid-March. Image: Council.

He said the mix of facilities at the precinct was spot on.

"We wanted to get the mix right and make sure when the development is finished, it meets the needs of the community, it's affordable and can operate effectively," he said.

"The mix we have got is really exciting and will be really good for the community."

The government has contributed $51 million in grants towards the project which has a construction contract of $58,082,810.

A concept design image of the new facility. Image: Council.

To fund the difference, the council used $4 million in loan funds, s94 developer contributions and some cash reserves from infrastructure renewal, real estate disposal, and crown reserves funds, as well as some proceeds from the sale of Moruya Racecourse and Southern Phone.

The council said there are no further land or asset sales proposed to fund construction of the facility.

The council set a total budget of $69 million to cover all costs including project management, design, environmental assessment and related studies, legal and professional services, fees and charges, furniture fittings and equipment, construction costs and a contingency of $6 million.