Amalgamation in 1994 coupled with the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Tendering gave Maroondah Leisure, the business unit created to manage the City’s major recreational facilities, unprecedented opportunities to streamline services and gain from new economies of scale.
Under the new scheme residents can take out membership giving them access to all the major venues on the one membership card. This includes the Croydon Leisure Centre, the Croydon Memorial Pool, the Ringwood Aquatic Centre and the Ringwood Golf Course.
These provide Maroondah residents with state of the art facilities for leisure and fitness activities, catering for beginners through to Olympic standard. The Croydon Leisure Centre provides an 1800 seat hall, seven netball courts and the second largest volleyball facility in Australia.
The Ringwood Aquatic Centre has a state of the art hydrotherapy pool which incorporates a hydraulic ramp system to raise and lower the height of the floor to accommodate people with disabilities. There is also a diving pool where several Olympic aspirants train.
A jewel in the crown of the leisure facilities is the Ringwood Golf Course which is now expanding to include off course training and other facilities. Marketing Manager, George Thompson, said that the Golf Course is one of Victoria’s best public golf courses and is so well patronised that it functions at near full capacity with some 87,000 rounds played every year.
Its obvious popularity inspired Council to invest in the only Optigolf unit operating on a golf course in Australia. Here golfers who cannot access the course can practise and improve their game with the help of big screen technology.
The new facility was opened in February 1998 by Blue Heelers star John Wood. It coincided with the opening of other new facilities at the course, including a guest lounge, an extended pro shop and a meeting and conference venue.
“The new facilities greatly enhance the amenity offered by the course,” George Thompson said. “Members of the small corporate market can now entertain staff and corporate colleagues with a ‘golf day’ while they discuss business. We are putting packages together specifically for this market.”
Since its opening, the new facility has proved highly popular. Together with the other facilities under the umbrella of Maroondah Leisure, it is returning significant profits for Council and the community.
For further information contact George Thompson, telephone (03) 9876 8060.
