Aligned Leisure to manage Eurobodalla Council’s Bay Pavilions facility

Eurobodalla Shire Council has advised that it has agreed a three-year contract with Aligned Leisure to manage the Bay Pavilions regional aquatic, arts and community hub at Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast.

Advising that Aligned Leisure had demonstrated a clear understanding of how best to connect residents with the Bay Pavilions’ services and programs, Eurobodalla Shire Mayor, Liz Innes stated “from the CEO down, they’re a company we can work with, thanks to our shared vision for this amazing new facility.”.

Aligned Leisure Chief Executive, Shane Dunne said the centre would be a place where people would meet and connect, a hub for arts and creativity, aquatics, health and fitness, adding “our immediate aim is to build an art and leisure workforce - from the community, for the community.

“All Bay Pavilions services, from the café to the pool hall, gym and theatre, will be run by people employed by Aligned Leisure. And every effort is being made to make sure the vast majority will be locals.”

With the Council having received four tenders for the fee-for-service contract to manage the Bay Pavilions, it advised that Melbourne-based Aligned Leisure was chosen after a comprehensive evaluation - by two separate working groups - based on service delivery, technical merit, financial viability and proposed cost.

Eurobodalla Shire Council’s Director of Planning Lindsay Usher said construction of the facility continued apace, and despite the pandemic presenting delays, was on track to open to the public in the first half of 2022.

Usher explained “lockdowns in NSW and ACT have hampered access to trades and materials on top of world-wide shipping delays. Our builders have worked around these hold-ups and earlier wet weather, meaning we’re just six weeks or so behind our original finish date.

“We’ve recently seen the massive glulam beams installed over the aquatic complex and now the theatre is being built. It’s the taller part of the complex and once it’s up you’ll see a stronger impression of the overall structure.

“The next milestone for Bay Pavilions watchers will be the waterslides’ installation, and keep an eye out for the raffle offering lucky locals an early sneak peak of the centre prior to opening.

“Once ADCO completes construction, there’s a hand-over to Aligned Leisure for six weeks of fit-out and staff training before the premises can open to the public.”

For Aligned Leisure, a subsidiary of the Richmond Football Club, the contract is their first in NSW.

For more information about the project visit www.esc.nsw.gov.au/mackaypark

Images: Aligned Leisure have won the contract to manage services and program offerings at Eurobodalla Shire Council's new Bay Pavilions facility (top), the facility under construction (middle) and an artist's impression of how the the facility will look when complete (below).