The Victorian State Diving Centre will have a new home with the announcement of $10 million in Australian Government funding by the then Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories, Catherine King, and local member Mike Symon.
Mr Symon said Aquanation, a new aquatic and leisure centre to be built in Ringwood, will provide essential health, leisure, recreation and wellbeing facilities for Melbourne East and surrounding regions.
“The centre will incorporate the new Victorian State Diving Centre, into a complex that encompasses a host of other swimming pools, a gymnasium, child care facility and more than 300 parking spaces.
“With room for more than 800 spectators, the centre will be able to host elite state, national and international diving trials and competitions.
“The centre will be a key training venue for instructors and educators in a range of recreational disciplines, and provide access to education, training, and competition for primary and secondary schools.”
Diving Victoria will establish development squads drawing participants from across Victoria, stimulating economic opportunities for retail, business and tourism operators and assisting to leverage investment in urban development.
“It is estimated that Aquanation will host 800,000 visitors per year and its construction will create 291 state-wide construction jobs over two years, 40 of these in the local area,” said Minister King.
Minister King congratulated Maroondah City Council on its successful proposal under Round Four of the Government’s Regional Development Australia Fund.
“The application process for this round of funding proved very competitive, with all proposals scrutinised against eligibility, risk, viability, and value for money criteria.”
Features of Aquanation will include:
- a ten-lane Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) standard pool, with twin booms separating water spaces for lap swimming, diving, water polo, synchronised swimming and underwater hockey
- FINA standard diving facilities with 10m tower, dive recovery and plunge pool, and dry diving training room with inbuilt trampolines, foam pits and harness structures
- a warm water pool for rehabilitation and therapy, a dedicated learn-to-swim pool, leisure and toddler pool with beach entry and splash play, and a wet and dry sauna and spa
- dry leisure facilities include a gym, three group fitness rooms, a childcare facility, and a varietyof change facilities
- an event management office, club and community meeting rooms, and linkages to existing sporting facilities in the Jubilee Park precinct and
- an environmentally sustainable design including the use of sustainable materials, improved energy efficiency, stormwater harvesting, water and energy conservation systems, and maximum use of natural light and ventilation.
