$18m plan lopped

Jane Emerick
Torquay’s $18 million civic precinct could end up “nothing more” than new shire offices, a library and sport ovals, a councillor has revealed.
Cr Ron Humphrey said preliminary plans had left out initial design features such as an aquatic centre, a redeveloped Surfworld museum and a new visitor information centre.
“Spending $18 million of ratepayers’ money means this project has to be worth it,” Cr Humphrey said.
“Using this prime location (at the entrance to town) for ovals is a waste. Ovals are important but would serve their purpose on lessexpensive locations.
“We chose this site because it would present people entering the Surf Coast with a hub of shire services including the visitor information centre and Surfworld.”
Cr Humphrey said the plans had changed since shire officers hired consultants to work on the project.
“We discussed what we wanted to do and then at some point consultants have been hired on a whim,” he said
“Here we are with officers making the big bucks but not making the big decisions.
“The more we outsource decisions the more money we waste and the less the local community is involved.”
The civic precinct plans propose to redevelop Torquay’s visitor information centre and surfing museum at their existing sites in Surf City Plaza, Cr Humphrey said.
He believed the cost of redeveloping the facilities would cost ratepayers additional “millions” of dollars.
“The ratepayers won’t want to cop it,” Cr Humphrey warned.
Surf Coast Shire has an option on a 20hectare site off Surf Coast Highway at the northern entrance to Torquay for the project.
The shire has until September 30 to finalise its purchase of the land.
A shortage of space at the shire’s existing Grossman’s Road site and demand for new community facilities prompted the precinct plan.
The Independent revealed last year that the shire would investigate moving Surfworld and the visitor information centre to the site of the new civic precinct.