STEPHANIE THOMPSON
RATEPAYERS will fork out $4000 a month to run Loxton’s multi-million sporting hub.
Loxton Waikerie council has engaged a management company to oversee The Precinct Loxton, after a special meeting last month identified an “urgency” for a management model for the $13 million facility.
Council CEO David Beaton said councillors chose to engage Belgravia Leisure at a cost of $4000 (excluding GST) on a monthly basis until a full tender process was undertaken.
“They’ll take all the bookings and manage security and make sure things are clean and all that sort of thing,” he said.
“There will be a tender process in the future about how we will run it.”
Mr Beaton said the management model would service users, act as hirers and provide kiosk facilities.
Councillors were presented with two recommendations; to engage Belgravia Leisure on a monthly basis or to recruit council staff for management.
In the report, it stated the costs to employ a manager, kiosk/bar co-ordinator and cleaning would be about $278,000 per annum.
Mr Beaton said ensuring the facility was well utilised was a main aim for council.
“It’s a community facility, so we want the community to use it as much as possible,” he said.
“It’s got such a large capacity to do different things for both Loxton and the whole of the region.”
Belgravia currently operates the Loxton and Waikerie swimming pools and Waikerie Community Sports Centre.
While The Precinct was finished last year, the mezzanine level is due for completion in coming weeks.