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The Kew Recreation Centre is undergoing a major redevelopment to transform into a modern facility that is suitable for all ages and abilities and caters to a wide range of health and wellbeing needs.
Status update: 18 October 2024
On Thursday 17 October 2024 after a 2-year investigation, WorkSafe Victoria brought charges against construction company ADCO Group Pty Limited and façade subcontractor Colab Building Tech Pty Ltd in relation to the collapse of the steel roof structure at the Kew Recreation Centre.
You can read about WorkSafe’s charges in their media release.
The second regulator investigating the collapse, the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), is yet to release the results of its investigation. The time taken by regulators to investigate this matter highlights the complexity Council has been working through.
Council will provide any further updates, including in relation to the VBA investigation and WorkSafe prosecution, when we are in a position to do so.
Demolition activity including removal of steel from the site has commenced.
Status update: 12 September 2024
ADCO, the contractor responsible for building the centre, has advised Council:
- A demolition contractor has been engaged to remove the steel from site, with work to commence on 3 October 2024.
- A contract has been signed for procurement of the structural steel required to rebuild the structure, with work to commence on site by 17 December 2024 following demolition.
A message to the community from our CEO, Philip Storer
We all wish to see the new centre completed. A substantial investment of ratepayer funds has been allocated towards this important community wellbeing project and we expect nothing less than a high-quality facility to be delivered.
Like the community, we have been incredibly frustrated by the significant delays to this project. Getting this project back on track has remained our highest priority since the steel structure collapsed.
It will come as no surprise that complex discussions with all parties involved cannot be conducted through the community or the media; particularly when litigation may be likely to be required to resolve differences of view. It is important to note those discussions have not concluded and are likely to continue.
Thorough investigations have been completed in relation to the metallurgy of the steel and its compliance with Australian standards, the fabrication of the steel on site including compliance of the welds against design specifications, assessment of the structural engineering design and compliance with building legislation.
On Monday 9 September, Council unanimously passed a resolution that empowered it to take any step necessary to ensure the completion of the project one way or another. This resolution shows the significance Council attaches to this issue and that we are not afraid to take urgent action if required to ensure our community is delivered what was promised.
WorkSafe Victoria and the Victorian Building Authority’s investigations into the steel roof structure collapse are still underway. We are looking forward to seeing the outcome and remain committed to cooperating with all aspects of their investigation in the meantime.
We acknowledge this message does not provide answers to some of the broader questions being asked by our community. While both contractor negotiations and the investigations continue, we are unable to provide comment on several matters. When we are able to share more, we promise to do so.
Thank you for your understanding and ongoing patience as we work to ensure your new Kew Recreation Centre is delivered. We remain hopeful at the prospect of seeing ADCO resume activity on site again shortly.
Timeline
| Time | Action |
|---|---|
| 17 October 2024 | On Thursday 17 October, WorkSafe Victoria brought charges against construction company ADCO Group Pty Limited and façade subcontractor Colab Building Tech Pty Ltd in relation to the collapse of the steel roof structure at the Kew Recreation Centre. You can read about the charges in WorkSafe Victoria’s media release. |
| 12 September 2024 | ADCO, the contractor responsible for building the centre has advised Council: 1. A demolition contractor has been engaged to remove the steel from site, with work to commence on 3 October 2024. 2. A contract has been signed for procurement of the structural steel required to rebuild the structure, with work to commence on site by 17 December 2024 following demolition. |
| September 2024 | On Monday 9 September 2024, Council unanimously passed a resolution that empowered it to take any step necessary to ensure the completion of the project one way or another. |
| April 2024 | Documentation has been certified by an independent expert and the building permit issued, allowing works to resume again on site. |
| October 2023 | Minor works completed around the site in response to community requests, including reinstating the footpath and residential parking on Disraeli Street and intersection visibility improvements at High Street and Derby Place. |
| May 2023 | ADCO completed dismantling and removal of collapsed steel roof structure. |
| February 2023 | WorkSafe approved a methodology for Council’s appointed builder, ADCO to safely dismantle the collapsed steel roof structure under their supervision. |
| Late 2022 | Investigations into the cause of the collapse commence, with the site under the control of WorkSafe. |
| October 2022 | A section of the steel roof structure at the Kew Recreation Centre construction site partially collapsed. No one was hurt and the collapse occurred after normal working hours. |
Watch the 3D fly-through of our final design
You can watch the fly-through of our final design on the City of Boroondara YouTube channel.
About the design
This new purpose-built facility will provide our community with modern recreation and aquatic facilities to be enjoyed by all ages and abilities.
The previous facility was in poor condition and no longer met the community’s expectations or catered for future demographic growth.
Our new centre will help our community improve or maintain health and wellbeing, play team sports, connect with others and meet specialised health needs.
The Kew Recreation Centre redevelopment is supported by the Victorian Government.
Features of the new centre
Our new Kew Recreation Centre includes:
- a dedicated learn-to-swim pool for swimming lessons
- a secluded warm water pool for gentle exercise and rehabilitation
- an aqua play area for young people to play and explore
- an onsite childcare with outdoor play area
- bigger change rooms that cater for individuals, groups and families
- 2 indoor sports courts providing much needed space for a range of local participants
- allied health suites to support your health and wellness goals
- divided health and fitness areas for both ‘noisy’ and ‘quiet’ group exercise classes
- landscaped forecourt and café to meet, gather and socialise
- increased parking onsite
- a party room.
Accessibility features
The new centre will be more accessible to people of all abilities and includes:
- a dedicated office and activity space for Boroondara Stroke Support Group
- larger change rooms that can cater for families and school groups
- more car parking options, including accessible parking and wider spaces for prams
- stair and lift access from the undercover car park
- a fully accessible spa via ramp access
- a sensory room to suit families with a range of needs and abilities.
Sustainability features
The new centre has a number of environmental sustainable design elements, including:
- 500 KW solar panel system
- high-performance insulation, glazing and air-tightness to reduce energy consumption
- storage of the pool waste water to be re-used for toilet flushing
- water-efficient fittings and fixtures
- rainwater harvesting to be re-used for landscape irrigation.
Community consultation
We worked closely with our community to design a modern facility that includes the latest recreation and aquatic facilities for all ages and abilities.
Each space, including the accessibility and design features, has been determined based on community feedback across 3 stages of consultation to ensure we meet the needs of our users.
As a result, we are delighted to be delivering a fun and engaging space that caters to a wide range of health and wellbeing needs for our community.
What we heard
There were a number of key topics and themes that arose during consultation.
Aquatics
You told us you wanted more water spaces for different activities, such as warm water exercise and rehabilitation, swimming lessons and children’s play in addition to lap swimming. We prioritised adding in these programmable spaces and a 25m lap pool over a single 50m lap pool.
Sauna
You told us how much you love the sauna, so in addition to a bigger and better one in the new centre we have added a sauna facility to the Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre too.
Aqua play
We have created a fun and colourful aqua play area with a large slide and a wide array of splash pad features to entertain children of all ages because we heard how important this area was to you.
Childcare
You told us how valuable a childcare facility is, so this service remains along with a new outdoor play area to support families’ health and wellbeing needs.
Parking
Improved and accessible underground car parking was added to increase parking capacity, along with additional bicycle parking.
Alternative locations
Kew Recreation Centre members have reciprocal rights to use our other Boroondara Leisure and Aquatic Facilities. Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Boroondara Sports Complex and Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre are available for use in alignment with coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.
For more information, visit YMCA’s Kew Recreation Centre redevelopment page.
Expressions of interest
YMCA Victoria ran an expression of interest process from 18 July to 20 November 2022 for community groups and clubs who may be interested in hiring the new Kew Recreation Centre spaces and facilities.
More information
For information, contact our team on (03) 9278 4444 or email [email protected]
To receive updates on this project via email, sign up to the Kew Recreation Centre project mailing list.