By Gabriella Vukman
Devastation erupted when the Monbulk Aquatic Centre was left to recover from being hit by another falling tree on 14 April.
After only 18 months of being completely open since the last tree damage, the centre is temporarily closed whilst the damage is being assessed.
Area manager for Yarra Ranges at Belgravia Leisure Darren Allen said, “We were pretty devastated to hear the news that a tree has come down on the health club side of Monbulk Aquatic Centre.”
“We are devastated because only three years ago during the storm damage that was sustained in June in 2021, we had a tree come through the other side of the building in the Pool Hall which led to a prolonged closure of the pool,” Mr Allen said.
“Whilst the damage is seemingly not as bad as last time, we are devastated to see further tree damages to the facility.”
There was no one was in the Health Club building when the tree came down and no cars were damaged.
Mr Allen said, “The pool hall was open to the Marlins Swim Squad who were running their aggregate program but fortunately there was no one in the gym or any cars in the carpark so no one was hurt or at risk when the incident happened.”
At this stage, the extent of the damage is unknown.
Mr Allen said, “We’ve closed today because we need to get experts in to ensure that the building or parts thereof are fit for occupancy.”
“We are confident we will be able to open in some capacity soon but are awaiting officials who deal with this sort of thing to be able to confirm that the building is fit for purpose and that we can open up to the public.”
“I do anticipate that there will be some restrictions within the health club side of the business but we will wait and see on that,” Mr Allen said.
With the occurrence of precious tree damage only three years ago, Mr Allen puts this latest incident down to location.
“We live in a community that is full of trees. We’ve seen unprecedented levels of landslip, erosion and tree damage throughout the entire region so this stuff just happens here,” Mr Allen said.
“It is a beautiful part of the community and it is one of the most gorgeous places to have a health and wellness centre and we are grateful to be surrounded by the trees but at the same time we are acutely aware that there has been a lot of rain and unfortunately this is a part of living in the hills.”
With over 13,000 swim school students and health club members, the closure of the aquatic centre will have a detrimental impact on the community.
“It really identifies when we do have to close due to something like this, how important this facility is to the health and wellbeing of the community as well as the social benefits that come from the friendship groups that are built here,” Mr Allen said.
“This is more than just a gym and a pool. It is a genuine part of the community,”
The centre aims to open as soon as possible with the tree already being removed from the carpark.
Mr Allen said, “Whilst the damage is quite confronting to look at from the outside, we are really pleased to say there’s not a lot of damage inside the building.”
“We appreciate the community’s patience and more than anything their kind words to our team.”
“They realise how devastating this sort of thing is for our team who not only live and work here but also make their livelihoods through this facility and we deeply appreciate their understanding and we will be open as soon as we possibly can,” Mr Allen said.
