Council treads tenderly around new Carr Confoy sports pavilion

Instead, it will try to source additional grant funds before striking any agreement to build the originally estimated $8 million pavilion at Carr Confoy sporting fields.

Deputy Mayor Steve Ruddell has described the pavilion as "the missing piece in the (sporting) jigsaw," given upgrades to similar facilities in recent years.

But at their most recent meeting, councillors unanimously decided not to accept any of the four construction tenders received in November, 2023 and to cancel the contract "due to market conditions."

The council will not invite fresh applications, reasoning that it won't attract applicants "over and above" existing submitters.

Mayor Peter Walker told The Post the tenders were "massively over budget."

"We had an estimate of about $8m but because of the time lapse, everything has gone up and all of a sudden we have tenders way over (that figure)," he said

But it doesn't mean the end of the project.

Cr Walker said the council would look at the options, including grant funding, a loan, paring back the inclusions or deferring the work.

"A grant would be first and foremost, remembering that we have applied for a (51.2 percent) special rate variation," he said.

"We won't get a decision on that until April/May and the undertaking is not to do other projects while we're waiting, but this was in the pipeline."

The council in 2022 received $3.6m in state funding for the Carr Confoy pavilion. This had to be matched by the council. In February, 2022 the organisation applied for $4m from the then federal government's Building Better Regions fund. When this program was scrapped, a $4m loan was included in the 2023/24 council budget.

Cr Walker said the loan's inclusion didn't necessarily mean it would be taken out.

The meeting heard that new grant opportunities were available. A report will go to the January 23 meeting on these.

Cr Walker said grants officers "were primed and ready to attack them."

In the meantime, the council has secured a time extension on the state funding until mid-2025.

"The main thing is to find additional money to prop this project up and get something happening," operations director George Angelis said.

Cr Andrew Banfield had his reservations about the overall work.

"I just think to carry on with that project in the current financial climate is probably not good thing," he said.

Deputy mayor Steve Ruddell replied that while he supported Cr Banfield.

"But this is the last piece in the jigsaw of our sporting facilities. If further grant funding becomes available, I believe we need to get this done," he said.

In recent years, Seiffert Oval, Cookbundoon fields and North Park have scored amenity improvements.

The design includes a function room, canteen, two meeting/control rooms, disabled internal toilet, eight change rooms (four dedicated specifically for female athletes), two umpire rooms, new public toilets including ambulant and disability facilities, storage and utilities room as well as weather-protected stepped seating areas.

Under the decision, the council in future can enter into a contract with a party to construct the pavilion, whether or not they submitted a tender. CEO Aaron Johannson was given authority to award a contract once negotiations are finalised.

Mr Angelis reassured councillors that this wouldn't occur unless grant funds were secured.

Meantime, netball court resurfacing and a lighting upgrade at Carr Confoy is underway using a $640,000 state grant. It is part of a $700,000 project.