Grange Planning Brain

title: Aquatic Facilities Strategy council: mitchell state: vic category: strategy classification: MINOR status: draft last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:

  • Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf
  • Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option A.pdf
  • Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option B.pdf
  • Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf
  • Mitchell_AquaticStrategy_Final.pdf

Aquatic Facilities Strategy

Mitchell Shire’s aquatic planning problem is no longer simply whether existing pools are well maintained; it is whether a dispersed legacy network can remain financially and physically serviceable while the southern growth corridor creates demand for a year-round indoor aquatic facility at Greenhill Recreation Precinct. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.2-5) The draft 2026 strategy therefore shifts the 2014 strategy from a broad network-retention framework into a sequencing problem: keep current facilities operating in the short term, fund urgent technical and access works, and plan Greenhill in a way that does not unintentionally undermine Kilmore Leisure Centre. (Source: Mitchell_AquaticStrategy_Final.pdf, pp.49-55; Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.29-36)

Background

The 2014 Mitchell Aquatic Strategy found that most households could reach an indoor pool within 15 minutes, but Wallan, Beveridge and Wandong residents had weaker access to outdoor pools and the southern growth areas were expected to justify a major additional aquatic leisure centre over time. (Source: Mitchell_AquaticStrategy_Final.pdf, pp.2-4) The 2014 strategy recommended a major indoor/outdoor aquatic centre in the Melbourne North Growth Corridor at Wallan and Surrounds, with 5 hectares of land, co-location with community or civic facilities, development-contribution negotiations, and a minimum facility mix including lap pool, program pools and children’s water play. (Source: Mitchell_AquaticStrategy_Final.pdf, pp.49-55)

The 2026 draft strategy updates that earlier direction in a materially larger growth context, with Mitchell Shire forecast to grow from 64,175 residents in 2025 to 221,636 residents by 2046. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.2, 10) The draft strategy identifies growth as concentrated in the south, particularly Beveridge, Wallan and Kilmore/Kilmore East, and uses that growth pattern to support year-round indoor provision at Greenhill Aquatic Centre. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.8, 10, 31)

The Wallan South PSP community infrastructure review gives the spatial planning bridge between the aquatic strategy and growth-area delivery: Wallan South was assessed on preliminary assumptions of 356 hectares of net developable area, about 7,000 dwellings, about 23 dwellings per net developable hectare, and about 21,700 residents. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, p.41) The same review found Wallan and Beveridge together could accommodate about 36,475 to 40,105 dwellings, or about 113,073 to 124,326 residents at 3.1 persons per household. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, pp.12-13)

Analysis

Network Demand and the Southern Growth Shift

The core demand mechanism is geographic: existing aquatic assets are concentrated in Kilmore, Seymour, Broadford, Tallarook and Wallan Splash Park, while the largest forecast population growth is in the southern growth corridor. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.8-12) In 2026, Council’s network includes three seasonal outdoor pools, two indoor leisure/sports aquatic centres, and one seasonal splash park. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.11-12) This means the current network provides year-round aquatic water only through Kilmore Leisure Centre and Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre, while Wallan has only a seasonal splash park. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.11-12)

The Wallan South PSP review quantifies the growth pressure behind the Greenhill direction: Wallan’s small-area population was forecast to rise from 16,444 people in 2022 to 49,870 people in 2041, a 235% increase. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, p.15) The same review estimated Wallan South alone would generate demand equivalent to 0.4 aquatic leisure centres, 2,600 swimming participants and 5,400 gym or fitness participants. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, pp.49-50) That does not, by itself, justify a full regional aquatic centre within Wallan South, but it materially strengthens the case for a Greenhill facility serving a wider Wallan-Beveridge catchment. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, pp.12-13, 49-50)

The 2026 draft strategy also identifies a service-gap mechanism rather than only a population mechanism: no Mitchell Shire aquatic facility currently provides a comprehensive integrated aquatic and leisure offer across leisure, wellness, education, therapy, competition, food and beverage, and merchandise services. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.21) The strategy’s user-market framework states that recreation/leisure/adventure generally accounts for 60% to 70% of pool users, fitness/training 20% to 25%, education 10% to 15%, and therapy 10% to 15%. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.21) The practical implication is that a narrow lap-pool or splash-only response would miss several major demand segments, particularly learn-to-swim, family recreation, and warm-water therapy. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.20-21, 23-24)

Operating Performance and Financial Pressure

The financial mechanism is clear: the aquatic network is already operating at a recurrent deficit before the capital cost of a new southern facility is added. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.13-14) Across all Mitchell aquatic centres, income increased from 1.68 million in 2021/22 to 2.95 million in 2024/25, while expenditure increased from 3.64 million to 4.91 million over the same period. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.13) The operating deficit was 1.96 million in 2024/25, and the four-year average operating deficit was 1.92 million. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.13)

The attendance story partly offsets the deficit story but does not remove it. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.14) Total attendances increased from 105,037 in 2021/22 to 250,343 in 2024/25, including a 69% increase between 2023/24 and 2024/25. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.14) The cost-per-visit data shows why facility type matters: Kilmore Leisure Centre had a 2024/25 cost per visit of 2.91 and Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre had 3.83, while Tallarook Outdoor Pool had 27.33, Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool had 15.15, and Broadford Outdoor Pool had $11.92. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.14)

This pattern means the highest per-visit costs sit in the seasonal outdoor pools, while the two indoor centres carry most usage at lower unit cost. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.14) It also means the Greenhill decision is not simply an expansion decision; it is a network-rebalancing decision because a new indoor centre may draw users from Kilmore and change Kilmore’s operating role. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-32) The 2014 strategy anticipated this issue by requiring Kilmore’s role to be reviewed when the new major southern centre was planned. (Source: Mitchell_AquaticStrategy_Final.pdf, pp.50-55)

Asset Condition and Renewal Sequencing

The technical audits convert the strategy from a service-level discussion into a capital prioritisation problem. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.15-18) The draft strategy identifies 2.717 million in probable works over ten years across existing facilities, including 1.889 million at Kilmore Leisure Centre, 518,119 at Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool, 156,427 at Tallarook Outdoor Pool, 128,252 at Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre, 25,172 at Broadford Outdoor Pool, and $18,540 at Wallan Splash Park. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.15)

Kilmore is the largest renewal exposure because it has the highest ten-year probable cost and concourse deterioration is the main unresolved structural issue. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.15, 18) The draft strategy states Kilmore’s concourse has advanced deterioration, corrosion issues, drainage problems, reactive soils and a need for field testing before remedial options can be costed. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.18) This creates a sequencing dependency: Kilmore must keep serving southern demand until Greenhill is funded and delivered, but major Kilmore investment should be assessed against the timing and future role of Greenhill. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.18, 31-32)

Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool presents a different risk because it is in fair to poor condition, was flooded to about one metre in 2021/22, has poor main-pool concrete, and has concourse settlement of up to more than 10 centimetres. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.16) The 2026 draft strategy therefore proposes medium-term master planning for Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre that includes outdoor water and water-play experiences, a 50-metre outdoor pool in preparation for Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool reaching end of life, additional indoor heated water, warm-water therapy, spa/sauna, expanded gym and improved social spaces. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.33)

Access compliance is also a system-wide issue rather than a single-site defect. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.4, 16-18) Kilmore has 72 identified access issues, Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre has 55, Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool has 42, Tallarook Outdoor Pool has 37, Wallan Splash Park has 27, and Broadford Outdoor Pool has 22. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.4, 16-18) The strategy’s first action therefore prioritises budgeting and funding access-audit improvements at all sites, with detailed cost pending review and prioritisation. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.29)

Greenhill as a Planning and Co-Location Decision

The Greenhill facility is more than an aquatic project because both Greenhill master plan options integrate aquatic, indoor recreation and community functions with open space and movement links. (Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option A.pdf, pp.10-11; Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option B.pdf, pp.12-13) Option A locates the aquatic and indoor recreation facility in the southern part of the precinct, with a forecourt/cafe, indoor multi-purpose courts, outdoor netball courts, regional gymnastics, tennis, bowls and links to Green Hill trails. (Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option A.pdf, pp.10-11) Option B locates the aquatic and indoor recreation facility in the northern part of the precinct, co-located with potential community/library rooms and a community plaza adjacent to Wallan Secondary College and close to the town centre. (Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option B.pdf, pp.12-13)

The practical planning difference between the options is access and civic integration. (Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option A.pdf, pp.10-11; Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option B.pdf, pp.12-13) Option A emphasises views to Green Hill, a southern precinct position, and a central terraced connection between indoor and outdoor facilities. (Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option A.pdf, p.11) Option B emphasises co-location with community/library rooms, a civic forecourt near the school and town centre, and reduced traffic impacts along Duke Street. (Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option B.pdf, p.13)

The Wallan South PSP review supports Greenhill’s broader role by recommending the expansion and development of the southern component of Greenhill Recreation Reserve as part of the active open space strategy. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, pp.48, 57) The same review strongly encourages Council to explore an indoor recreation facility as part of the Greenhill expansion, with the primary function focused on indoor sports using multipurpose courts. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, pp.49, 58) This creates a governance dependency between aquatic planning, indoor sport provision, active open space planning, Wallan South PSP staging and any future funding package for Greenhill. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, pp.49-50, 57-58; Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-32)

The 2026 draft strategy groups actions into seven strategic directions: technical audit maintenance and compliance works, operations, asset management planning, southern aquatics provision, Broadford Outdoor Pool upgrades, Seymour aquatics provision, and Tallarook aquatics provision. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.29-36) The total high-order implementation cost is estimated at 3.08 million to 3.2 million, excluding contingencies and project management fees. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.34)

Most of the identified cost sits in existing asset renewal rather than new Greenhill construction. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.29, 34) The draft strategy assigns 2.72 million to plant and structural audit works over ten years, 100,000 to 140,000 for electrification feasibility and related capital assessment, 30,000 to 50,000 for operational initiatives, 40,000 to 50,000 for an aquatic facilities asset management plan, 90,000 to 110,000 for southern aquatics funding and Kilmore options work, 30,000 to 40,000 for Broadford upgrade investigation, and 70,000 to $90,000 for Seymour master planning. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.29-34)

The Greenhill action is therefore not yet a full capital works commitment in the available draft strategy; it is a short-to-medium-term funding, advocacy, design and business-case pathway. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-32, 35-36) The strategy recommends that Council prioritise year-round indoor aquatic facilities at Greenhill, pursue internal and external funding sources, consider partnership options, and undertake a Kilmore operations feasibility study once Greenhill’s funding agreement and timeline are clearer. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-32, 35-36)

Current Status

The available 2026 document is a draft Aquatic Facilities Strategy dated February 2026, and the initiative status in the compile manifest is pending. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, cover; Source: compile-aquatic-facilities-strategy-job-14129.json) The draft strategy sets short-term actions for access audits, plant and structural audit works, operational-hour reviews, program reviews, customer satisfaction monitoring, pricing review, 24-hour gym feasibility, and Greenhill prioritisation/funding work. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.29-36) Medium-term actions include an aquatic asset management plan, Broadford Outdoor Pool upgrade investigation, Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre master planning, Tallarook service review, and a Kilmore operations feasibility study tied to Greenhill’s funding timeline. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-36)

Dependencies

  • Blocks: The strategy blocks final network-role decisions for Kilmore, Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool and Tallarook until the Greenhill funding pathway, asset-management plan and site-specific options assessments are advanced. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-36)
  • Blocked by: Greenhill delivery is blocked by detailed design, a sustainable funding strategy, a comprehensive business case, and confirmation of internal and external funding sources. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-32)
  • Informed by: The strategy is informed by technical audits covering structural, plant, access, electrical and ESD matters, operating data from 2021/22 to 2024/25, catchment analysis, AusPlay-based market research, community survey results and stakeholder engagement. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.13-23)
  • Implements: The strategy implements the long-running direction from the 2014 Aquatic Strategy to provide a major southern aquatic facility in Wallan and Surrounds, while updating the network response to 2025-2046 growth forecasts. (Source: Mitchell_AquaticStrategy_Final.pdf, pp.49-55; Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.2, 31-32)
  • Conflicts with: The strategy contains a potential network tension between retaining Kilmore at current service levels and introducing Greenhill, because the draft strategy expects Greenhill to negatively affect Kilmore’s operating performance. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-32)

The 2014 strategy required the proposed southern aquatic centre to be assessed in the wider Northern Melbourne Growth Region, where future facilities in Wollert, Lockerbie and Merrifield were relevant to timing, component mix and catchment planning. (Source: Mitchell_AquaticStrategy_Final.pdf, pp.3-4, 49-50) The 2026 draft strategy continues that cross-boundary logic by identifying facilities in Hume, Macedon Ranges and Murrindindi as part of the service network available to Mitchell residents. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.28) The draft strategy specifically states that Council should continue to partner with Hume City Council and the City of Whittlesea regarding any future aquatic facility at Cloverton Metropolitan Activity Centre, because Cloverton is expected to service a regional catchment of about 343,000 to 388,000 people and could affect Greenhill’s role. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.26)

Gaps in This Analysis

The available 2026 strategy provides high-order implementation costs of 3.08 million to 3.2 million, but it does not include the full capital cost, operating model, design scope, funding split or delivery date for Greenhill Aquatic Centre. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-36) The available source set references a Greenhill Aquatic Centre Feasibility Study 2023, but that feasibility study is not included in the manifest, which limits analysis of project scope, lifecycle cost, projected operating deficit and preferred staging. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, p.24)

The Wallan South PSP review is explicit that its community infrastructure plan is preliminary because final dwelling and population yields had not been confirmed. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, p.62) This means the relationship between Wallan South infrastructure contributions, Greenhill land provision, indoor recreation land, and aquatic facility capital funding cannot be fully tested from the supplied documents alone. (Source: Wallan & Beveridge Review of Community Infrastructure Needs Part B Wallan South PSP.pdf, pp.41, 49-50, 62)

The available source set includes Greenhill Option A and Option B master plan sheets, but it does not include a decision report selecting an option, a resolved master plan, a cost plan, or traffic/parking assessment for the preferred layout. (Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option A.pdf, pp.10-11; Source: Greenhill Recreation Precinct Master Plan Option B.pdf, pp.12-13) The analysis should therefore be treated as a strategy-level assessment rather than a confirmed project-delivery assessment. (Source: Mitchell Shire Aquatic Facilities Strategy February 2026 Draft.pdf, pp.31-36)

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