Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC)
An indoor pool for Bacchus Marsh is a high priority for Moorabool Shire and the local community, who have been actively advocating for this project for many years. The pool forms the centrepiece of a major new sports and recreation precinct in Bacchus Marsh – the Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC) - and will provide a much-needed recreation facility for our region.
Unlike similar-sized towns in Victoria, Bacchus Marsh does not have an indoor aquatic facility. The existing outdoor pool was built in the 1930s and no longer meets the needs of the community.
There is widespread community support for this project and a high demand for year-round pool facilities in Bacchus Marsh with 56 per cent of surveyed pool users having to travel outside the shire to participate in swimming activities at indoor pools in other municipalities. The three-stage Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC) project will create more than 200 direct and indirect jobs during construction and generate more than $100 million in economic activity during the life of the project. The precinct will add to other important recreation facilities in the area including Maddingley Park. Council is seeking to partner with the Victorian and Australian Governments to make this game-changing sports and recreation precinct a reality.
The Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre is a three stage development that consists of the following:
- Stage 1: indoor sports stadium (under construction - funded by the Victorian Government and Council)
- Stage 2: regional bowls and community hub (funded - Victorian Government and Council)
- Stage 3: indoor pool complex (advocacy for funding by the Australian Government underway - Victorian Government and Council funding committed).
Indoor stadium
A new 4-court indoor sports stadium will enable existing sports to expand and ensure a greater number of residents can participate in various levels of competition. The project includes:
- 4 indoor sports courts
- Community cafe and seating
- Public amenities
- Athlete and referee change rooms
- Administration office
- Merchandise area
Indoor aquatic centre
This project will upgrade the pool to a year-round multipurpose recreation centre, featuring aquatic, health, fitness and leisure facilities to meet community and visitor needs.
- 25 metre indoor lap pool
- A leisure and learn to swim pool
- Warm water program pool
- Changing facilities including family and accessible change rooms
- Spa, steam and sauna
- Café offering high-quality food with a large seating area
- Gym, group fitness and spin studios
- High priority disability access
- Multipurpose spaces
- Carparking and access requirements
Bowls and community hub
The merger between the Bacchus Marsh Bowling Club and Avenue Bowling Club provided an opportunity for the clubs to come together in a modern purpose-built facility in the heart of a major new sport and recreation precinct. The new facility will provide:
- Social/bowling club facilities
- Bistro
- Commercial kitchen and bar
- Community function and meeting rooms
- Amenities to support the above facilities and bowling greens
- 2.5/3 new bowling greens
- All weather cover over one (possibly two) of the bowling greens
- Bowls club storage
- Maintenance facilities for bowling greens
- Outdoor decking/dining
- Landscaping
- Car parking
Project updates
| December 2019 |
Council awarded a contract for the design of the entire facility. The contract was awarded to Peddle Thorp Architects |
| Throughout the design |
Consultation occurred with a large number of community groups, sporting clubs and sport associations throughout the design. |
| June 2021 |
Council was successful in attracting $1,925,000 from the State Govt via the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund – Better Indoor Stadium Fund. |
| October 2021 - December 2021 |
Council advertised an open tender for the construction of Stage 1. |
| January 2022 |
Council awarded a contract for the construction of stage one at a Special Meeting of Council on Thursday 27 January 2022. The contract was awarded to one of regional Victoria’s leading contractors in AW. Nicholson Pty Ltd. The value of the project inclusive of design, construction, fit-out and the upgrading of services to the site is $19 million. Works are expected to be completed in 2023.
|
Further information
Get in touch with us with any enquiries you have about this project by emailing majorrecprojects@moorabool.vic.gov.au.
Join the campaign for Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre! View the advocacy toolkit here(PDF, 8MB).
View the proposed floor plans here(PDF, 4MB)
The below images are a designer's visual interpretation of the Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC).
