Tuesday, 3 May 2022

Mernda regional sports and aquatic centre

Ms GREEN (Yan Yean) (19:23): (6345) I am delighted to raise this adjournment matter tonight. The action I seek is from the Minister for Community Sport, and the action I seek is for her to meet with the City of Whittlesea and also stakeholders and user groups in the Mernda region to discuss how state government funding programs can assist the City of Whittlesea in delivering the much-anticipated regional sports and aquatic facility at Mernda. I am so glad to see you in the chair, Speaker, given that your electorate covers the southern part of the City of Whittlesea, and the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change at the table, who is also the member for Mill Park. All three of us, I know, understand acutely the needs of people wanting to play sport and to be healthy in the City of Whittlesea.

One of the reasons that I absolutely supported the sacking of the Whittlesea council and the appointment of administrators was their complete lack of planning and attention to the needs of the community to work on forward plans for regional sports facilities—well, local sports facilities. I think we are seeing that lack of planning coming home to roost now in that the City of Whittlesea has the highest rate of heart disease in the metropolitan area and really low rates of activity. When we see neighbouring municipalities with similar demographics, they have higher rates of participation in organised sport, so I think that it really comes home to roost with those previous elected councillors who just could not get along with each other to appropriately plan and deliver facilities.

I want to commend Craig Lloyd, the CEO, and the administrators at the City of Whittlesea because they have come up with a magnificent plan. At the council meeting on 6 December 2021 they approved the expected scope of the Mernda leisure, aquatic and sports court facility. It is expected to include four pools, including a 50-metre multipurpose pool, a warm-water exercise pool, a learn-to-swim pool and a children’s leisure pool; a regional netball complex with six indoor sports courts and eight outdoor netball courts; a gym; a group fitness area; a spa and sauna; health and wellbeing consulting suites; and an occasional care facility. I know that the Minister for Community Sport, who represents a neighbouring area in Hume and Mitchell, truly understands the needs of these growing communities, and I urge her to come and meet with the City of Whittlesea.