Today was a day of announcements in Eurobodalla. Firstly in Moruya and then at an invitation-only event in Batemans Bay. In all 250 invitations were sent out for the Meet and Greet at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club which made for a great social occasion with the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and MP Andrew Constance taking the opportunity to move throughout the room and chat with community representatives and local business people. Following the welcome to country by Tom Slockee the Eurobodalla Mayor, Liz Innes opened the speeches welcoming the Premier and Member for Bega. Handing over the mike to Andrew Constance he informed the room that earlier that afternoon it had been announced in Moruya that Eurobodalla had been given approval to have an artificial reef with $500,000 in funding being secured from the Regional Growth Fund. It was then the turn of Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing the $26million for the aquatic/arts centre for Batemans Bay saying the funding will be sourced from the NSW Government’s $1.3 billion Regional Growth Fund. It is understood that a further $10m may be forthcoming from the Federal Government Infrastructure Fund raising the estimated $36m required. Of particular interest around the room to those wondering about the prospect of a 50m pool being included this was resolved with the final announcement from Andrew Constance when he said "Let me just put this to bed" where he then advised that Batemans Bay wasn't just getting a 25m pool but a 25mPLUS pool commenting that Ian Thorpe trained in a 25m pool. The announcement of the Aquatic Centre funding is a significant outcome for the region and for the many who volunteered hundreds of hours in meetings and fund raising through the Batemans Bay Indoor Aquatic Centre Committee and the Mackay Park Sunset Committee to bring the project to life.
Above: Jacki Harding and Carolyn Harding of the Batemans Bay Indoor Aquatic Centre Committee were delighted with the news pictured NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and MP Andrew Constance Photo: Batemans Bay Indoor Aquatic Centre Committee Inc
MP Andrew Constance, Mayor Liz Innes and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian Photo: Eurobodalla Shire Council
