Belgravia Leisure secures five-year contract to run Gympie Regional Council aquatic facilities

Leading facility manager Belgravia Leisure has secured a five-year contract worth $2.84 million to run Gympie Regional Council’s aquatic facilities.

The Council has this week agreed the five year management contract for its flagship Gympie Aquatic Leisure Centre, plus the Goomeri, Kandanga and Tin Can Bay pools, back to the Victorian-based company.

In August last year, Council officers revealed that an in-house bid to run the facilities would have cost considerably more while later that same month management of the Kandanga Pool was awarded to local operator Deep Blue Aquatics against recommendations from Council officers, following an amended motion from Councillor Bruce Devereaux.

However, as of Tuesday this week, Deep Blue Aquatics Manager Elizabeth Manthey confirmed the Gympie business had declined the offer.

Councillor Devereaux said he was disappointed by the outcome, stating, as reported by the Gympie Times “I’m sure (Deep Blue Aquatics) have their reasons”, adding that he was “disappointed” Deep Blue Aquatics chose not to manage the Kandanga Pool after he made a motion for them to be offered the keys to the facility.

Despite 20 companies Australia-wide downloading the tender documents, Deep Blue Aquatics, Belgravia Leisure and the Council’s in-house team were the only operators that responded to the tender.

Council Sustainability Director Adrian Burns said he looked “forward to continuing its productive working relationship with Belgravia and its team”.

Image: Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre. Credit: Hutchinson Builders.