The Taylor Oval site is the subject of Council’s latest Stage 1 pool proposal and a longer-term recreation precinct masterplan now open for community feedback. Image: Moree Online News.
The next step in the pool debate
The next chapter in Moree’s long-running 50m pool debate has begun, with residents invited to comment on detailed plans for a new aquatic and recreation precinct at Taylor Oval.
Moree Plains Shire Council has placed its draft Taylor Oval Stage 1 Plan and a longer-term Vision 2040 masterplan on public exhibition, giving residents the opportunity to help shape both the immediate project and the site’s future before the plans return to Council at its August 20 meeting.
Why Council says the location changed
The consultation follows Council’s decision last year to abandon plans to rebuild the replacement 50m pool at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre and instead pursue Taylor Oval as the preferred location.
Council said the move was driven by:
- escalating costs and engineering challenges at the existing site
- independent feasibility work that identified Taylor Oval as the preferred long-term location because of its available space, proximity to schools and sporting facilities, and the opportunity to develop a larger integrated recreation precinct
Since then, the proposal has become one of the shire’s most debated projects, generating discussion about the location of the new pool, the future of Taylor Oval as a sporting precinct, Aboriginal cultural heritage, funding, consultation and whether Moree’s 50m pool should remain alongside the artesian baths.
Stage 1 and the longer-term masterplan
Council’s Vision 2040 masterplan distinguishes between the funded Stage 1 50m pool proposal and additional future facilities that would depend on further grant funding. Image: Moree Plains Shire Council.
Council says the plans now on exhibition distinguish between what can be delivered with existing funding and what remains part of a longer-term vision for the site.
Under the Stage 1 proposal, Council says existing grant funding and Council budget allocations would be used to deliver:
- heated 50m pool
- spectator grass mound
- café or kiosk and seating areas
- car parking
- grassed recreation area
- new change rooms, lockers and amenities
The accompanying masterplan outlines what could eventually become a larger aquatic, recreation and community precinct if additional grant funding is secured in future years.
Council says the longer-term masterplan includes:
- children’s leisure pool and splash pad
- indoor learn-to-swim facilities and a waterslide
- covered grandstand
- new tennis clubhouse with community room
- indoor multi-purpose courts
- town park, outdoor cinema and stage
- additional parking
Why Council says Taylor Oval
Council estimates Stage 1 will cost about $20.5 million, with more than $13.7 million already secured through State and Commonwealth grants and about $6.7 million to be funded by Council.
It says the available funding allows construction of the Stage 1 facilities only, while the remaining elements shown in the masterplan would depend on future grant funding.
Council also argues Taylor Oval provides the best long-term location for the project, citing available space, proximity to schools and existing sporting facilities, and fewer construction constraints than rebuilding alongside the operating pools at the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre.
Mayor Susannah Pearse said the plans reflected both the funding currently available and the opportunity to create a broader community precinct over time.
“Our community desperately needs its 50m pool and this is the next step in getting us there,” Cr Pearse said.
“The Stage 1 plans show what Council proposes to deliver with the currently available budget.”
Cr Pearse said the proposed pool location had been selected following geotechnical investigations.
“We want this to be a project that sets a lasting legacy for future generations and stands the test of time. To that extent, the 50m pool has been located where thoroughly geotechnically tested soil has been identified as the most stable and suitable.
“Taylor Oval is however a large site and we have heard the community’s views that they wish to see the site serve as more than just an aquatic facility, something that recognises its history as a sporting precinct and provides more opportunities for our kids and families.
“The Masterplan shows what is possible at the site as Stage 1 is completed and additional grant funding becomes available. It is important that we understand what future stage needs are now, so that the Stage 1 infrastructure is located and built to support future additions.”
What Council says about the artesian centre
One question that has continued to surface throughout the discussion is what happens to the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre if the Taylor Oval project proceeds.
Council’s proposal does not involve relocating the artesian baths. The Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre would remain at its Anne Street site, with the Taylor Oval proposal centred on a replacement heated 50m pool and a new recreation precinct.
The separation of the town’s 50m pool and the artesian baths has been one of the key discussion points since Council changed direction on the project last year.
Heritage investigations
Separate Aboriginal consultation and archaeological investigations are also continuing alongside the master planning process.
Council says:
- heritage specialists OzArk Environment & Heritage NSW have been engaged to undertake Aboriginal consultation and archaeological investigations associated with Taylor Oval
- Registered Aboriginal Parties have been identified and will participate in the process
- investigations will be undertaken in accordance with NSW heritage legislation and under the approval of Heritage NSW before any construction work can proceed
Have your say
Council has engaged an independent consulting firm to undertake community consultation with residents, sporting groups and other stakeholders before the plans are presented back to councillors.
Residents can participate through:
- Drop-in information session: Moree Memorial Hall on Wednesday, July 22, from 6pm to 8pm
- On-site open day: Taylor Oval, 40 Albert Street, on Saturday, July 25, from 11am to 3pm
- Written submissions: through Council’s Taylor Oval Masterplan Vision 2040 webpage until 11.59pm on Friday, July 31
The consultation findings will be reported back to Council at its Ordinary Meeting on August 20 before any further decisions are made.
