Fitness groups concerned at the possibility of losing their venue at Beaton Park and a lack of consultation by Wollongong City Council have welcomed the intervention of the Lord Mayor.

As reported by The Illawarra Flame last month, members of regular fitness classes conducted within Beaton Park's Ted Tobin Hall claimed they'd not been involved in consultation about the future use of the hall.

Council had written to sporting groups which use the hall, including badminton, table tennis and pickleball, to say they'd engaged consultants to review the future uses of Beaton Park Leisure Centre. The review included the future use of Ted Tobin Hall.

The hundreds of Beaton Park members who participate in fitness classes said they weren't regarded as key stakeholders and hadn't been contacted by the consultants. One participant said they felt like "the forgotten people".

Basketball the priority

Prior to the appointment of consultants, Council indicated their preference was for Ted Tobin Hall to become a regional basketball hub and a permanent training venue for the Illawarra Hawks.

Frustrated by the lack of consultation, fitness club members rallied outside Ted Tobin Hall carrying signs which said 'Council consult us' and 'Community space, for the community'.

A regular attendee at the hall, Sue Ashbolt, told The Illawarra Flame at the time "we feel like we are being treated like second-class citizens".

A petition was launched to be presented to Council that said in part: "The Ted Tobin Hall was built for the community to use in its entirety. It was built using community funds and belongs to the community. It was never built for the use of private groups ... Council certainly needs to consider the growth of basketball across the area, however, it should NEVER be at the expense of other people in the community and their needs."

Representatives from the Ted Tobin Hall fitness groups requested an opportunity to speak face-to-face with councillors at Monday night's open Council meeting to put their case.

On Wednesday, Lord Mayor Cr Tania Brown, General Manager Greg Doyle and Council's head of Sport and Recreation, Mark Berriman, invited a contingent from the fitness groups to meet at the council headquarters.

A chance to have their say

Sue Ashbolt said she welcomed the opportunity to outline the concerns of Beaton Park members who felt they hadn't been given a chance to have their say.

"We were able to put a realistic face to Council of the importance of the hall to the people who use it," Sue said.

"I believe Council now has a better understanding of the membership... and recognises we are stakeholders and will be included. They now seem cognisant with our concerns

"The next step, Council said it will work on better communications with members and a letter will go out to members. This will give us a voice at the table." 

Following the meeting Sue said it was decided to withdraw the request to speak at Monday's meeting of Council. They will, however, still present their petition to Council. 

Council responds

Earlier this week, Council representatives and the Lord Mayor met with key people associated with Beaton Park, including a members’ representative, to address community concerns about the use of Ted Tobin Hall.

"At this meeting Council reaffirmed its position that there are no changes to the use and hire of current Beaton Park facilities, including Ted Tobin Hall. Council also reaffirmed that the current bookings for ongoing and casual hirers, including fitness classes, continue as normal," a Council spokesperson said.

"This meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the next steps in the delivery of the Beaton Park Master Plan, including the current feasibility study. The study will provide insights into what Beaton Park caters for well, where there are opportunities and where there are gaps. It will assist Council to ensure Beaton Park continues to evolve as one of the city’s key sporting hubs, and at a size and scale which meets our community needs now, and into the future.

"We’re anticipating the draft proposals from the feasibility study to be shared with Council in August/September this year.

"The draft Infrastructure Delivery Program 2025-2029 lists the design of a new multipurpose facility for the 2025-26 financial year with $750,000 set aside in the budget for this work. This budget includes the feasibility study currently underway by expert consultants appointed through a competitive procurement process, as well as provisions for initial design work once an acceptable option is approved.’’