The future of the Mildura Life Saving Club building at Apex Park became clearer at Thursday afternoon's Mildura Rural City Council meeting — but it won't be the larger redevelopment the club had hoped for.
Councillors voted to move forward with rebuilding the facility based around the available insurance money, rather than pursuing additional funding for the much larger facility proposed by the Mildura Life Saving Club.
The decision effectively draws a line under, at least for now, the push for a redevelopment of around $3 million based on the plans put forward by the club.
Instead, the focus will now shift to what can be delivered using the insurance funds available following the loss of the previous facility.
More Than 90% Backed $3 Million Push in OAS Survey
The Council decision comes after a recent Out & About Sunraysia online survey found strong support among participating readers for the larger proposal.
More than 90 per cent of respondents supported lobbying for $3 million in funding to deliver the plan put forward by the Mildura Life Saving Club.
The survey wasn't a scientific poll of the wider Mildura population, but it showed overwhelming support for the proposal among the Out & About Sunraysia readers who chose to take part.
Council ultimately decided to take a different path.
Support for the Club — But $3 Million Proved the Sticking Point
Importantly, the discussion at Thursday's meeting wasn't one of councillors questioning the work of the Mildura Life Saving Club.
Quite the opposite.
The general tone of the discussion was supportive of the club and the work its members do in the community, with councillors acknowledging the value of the organisation and the need to get it back into permanent facilities.
Several councillors also expressed that it wasn't an easy decision to make.
The sticking point was the scale and cost of the larger proposal.
While there was support around the Council table for the club and the work it does, the majority ultimately considered pursuing around $3 million for the larger redevelopment too much to justify, instead supporting a rebuild based on the available insurance money.
Bailey the Only Councillor to Oppose Smaller Option
Cr Troy Bailey was the only councillor to vote against proceeding with the smaller option.
His position during Thursday's debate was that better facilities should be provided for the Mildura Life Saving Club rather than limiting the project to what could be achieved through the insurance payout.
Out & About Sunraysia has included Cr Bailey's contribution from Thursday's Council meeting here, allowing readers to hear his argument in his own words.
His comments provide another side to the decision, particularly given the level of support shown for the larger proposal in the recent Out & About Sunraysia reader survey.
Cr Healy Steps Away From the Decision
Cr Helen Healy did not participate in the decision.
Cr Healy declared a conflict of interest due to her membership of the Mildura Life Saving Club and removed herself from consideration of the item.
She therefore did not take part in the vote.
A Club With a Unique Role
The Mildura Life Saving Club isn't your typical lifesaving club.
Based at Apex Park on the Murray River, it is described by Mildura Rural City Council as the only inland life saving club.
Its role extends beyond simply having a clubhouse beside the river, with the club playing an important part in water safety and rescue activities in the region.
A Smaller Rebuild, But a Path Forward
Thursday's decision means the focus can now turn towards rebuilding permanent facilities for the club within the available insurance funding.
Exactly what can be delivered within that budget will become clearer as the project moves forward.
For the Mildura Life Saving Club, it provides a path towards having permanent facilities again.
But it also means the more ambitious redevelopment put forward by the club — and supported by more than 90 per cent of respondents to the recent Out & About Sunraysia survey — won't be the option Council pursues.
The discussion at Thursday's meeting showed there was plenty of support around the Council table for the work the club does.
The disagreement was over how far Council should go to deliver the facilities to match it.
Cr Bailey believed Council should go further — and you can hear his argument in the video above.
