Liam McNally
The federal government has announced Bacchus Marsh will be eligible to apply for funding for its indoor pool under the new Thriving Suburbs fund, but Moorabool council is concerned it’s still a funding dry-up.
Council has been seeking $15 million in federal government funding for several years, to match its $15 million commitment and $10 million from the state government for the Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Taverner Street, Bacchus Marsh.
Moorabool council was a part of what used to be known as the Building Better Regions program, under which council could apply for federal funding for infrastructure projects like the indoor pool.
This year the program was replaced with the $600 million Growing Regions program, however the new fund considers Bacchus Marsh a part of greater Melbourne and therefore ineligible.
Instead, Bacchus Marsh is eligible for another new fund, the $200 million dollar Thriving Suburbs fund.
Hawke MP Sam Rae said he’s heard “loud and clear” that locals in Bacchus Marsh need an indoor pool.
“This program presents an opportunity for Moorabool Shire to apply for funding from the Albanese government for important projects like this,” he said.
However, council has expressed frustration at the change in zoning for Bacchus Marsh, with Moorabool mayor Rod Ward telling ABC Radio Melbourne that a town competing against larger areas for less funding is “manifestly unfair”.
“If you asked anyone in the Moorabool shire we’d consider ourselves very much regional… Bacchus Marsh has a population of 8000 and even if you include the surrounding areas of Darley and Maddingley it’s still only less than 20,000,” he said.
“Competing against Parramatta and Hume for funding is not, to use a boxing analogy, fighting in our own weight division.”
A spokeswoman for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said decisions about eligibility are based on the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA) as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Moorabool council chief executive Derek Madden said council would work with the federal government to ensure funding is received for the pool.
“We feel our project stacks up but it will no doubt be more difficult within the smaller pool of funds allocated within the new Thriving Suburbs Fund,” he said.
“Moorabool Shire is proud to be a regional shire and we feel the basis of identifying Bacchus Marsh as metro needs to be revisited.”
