City of Burnside

the community,” says Barry. In this particular example, the facili- ties were mostly used in the evenings and weekends and were most com- monly employed for sport training pur- poses. “The wider community did not have any real further use of the as- sets, and the buildings were very rare- ly occupied during the daytime,” says Barry. “Through a considerable invest- ment by the Council, Glenunga Hub is now widely used both by the sports clubs and the wider community.” The Council, which gained shared man- agement of the facilities by contribut- ing fully to the cost of the project, fo- cused on upgrading both the buildings as well as the open space, resulting in maximum efficiency. Today, the Glenunga Hub is used for a variety of community events, includ- ing children’s birthday celebrations, community programs, and other simi- lar functions. It provides an outreach venue in the west of the council area for educational and language courses, health and fitness classes, special in- terest clubs, and other programs co- ordinated by the Council. A number of successful local sports clubs continue to call Glenunga Hub their home. Upgrading a beloved swimming centre The George Bolton Swimming Cen- tre Burnside and its refurbishment has also represented a significant un- dertaking for the Council. “The project commenced roughly the same time as the Glenunga Hub project,” says Barry. “In the initial stages, a detailed condi- tion assessment was carried out. That way, the team had a complete under- standing of the condition of all the as- sets within the facility.” Some of those were approaching 45 years of use and various systems were too old to be useful any longer. After presenting the Council with sev- eral options, it was decided that the aspects of the facility which were most loved and used would be maintained and further enhanced. The outdoor, park setting was one of the Centre’s strongest points, and the City of Burn- side wanted to ensure that through the project, the Centre lost none if its charm. “As the facility has traditional- ly provided a good mix between rec- reation and lap swimming, the Coun- cil did not want to ruin its character,” Barry Cant