A shovel has taken the first plunge at the construction site for Dandenong Wellbeing Centre at Mills Reserve, Dandenong.
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti, councillor Rhonda Garad and Bruce Federal MP Julian Hill turned the first sod for the $122-million aquatic centre on Saturday 5 July.
It replaces the decades-old Dandenong Oasis and will focus on allied health, education, fitness and wellness.
Cr Memeti said the milestone was not just about concrete and construction but about people.
“This project is about creating a welcoming, inclusive place where we can achieve our goal of getting more people more active, more often.
“This is the single largest investment Council has ever made in our city and I’m incredibly proud it’s an investment in health, wellbeing, inclusion and water safety.
“This centre will provide a place where everyone – no matter their age, culture or ability – can connect, move and thrive.”
Also on hand were Norma Aitken, Jenny Longmuir, Lily Rekdale, Raelene Curtis and Patricia Marcuccio, who are stalwart members of an Oasis aqua aerobics group.
Since the early 1990s, the friends from Endeavour Hills, Dandenong North and Wheelers Hill have splashed in the pool and wined and dined together for monthly outings and birthdays.
Cr Memeti said the council was also compiling memories as well as installing a time capsule of the Oasis’s near-50-year history.
“It’s been a place of first swimming lessons, after school fun, hydrotherapy sessions and social connection.
“The stories we are hearing through social media, online comments and the giant memory board at Dandenong Oasis have been moving, funny and inspiring – and they have reminded us just how important community spaces like this truly are.”
Mr Hill said the Australian Government was proud to be investing $20 million in this project.
“The (investment) is all about bringing world-class infrastructure into the heart of Melbourne’s south east for generations to come, helping families keep active without having to leave their neighbourhood.”
The new centre is expected to open in 2027.
