Aligned Leisure, a 100% owned subsidiary of the Richmond Football Club, has successfully won the tender to manage the Albury and Wodonga aquatic facilities for the next five years.
The two Councils met separately on Monday night to award the contract for the management of the four facilities to Aligned Leisure after a thorough evaluation process.
Wodonga Mayor Cr Anna Speedie said Aligned Leisure would be offering employment to the local staff and providing a range of community programs and activities.
“This was a competitive process looking at the newest delivery models available and Aligned Leisure have put together an exceptional bid to manage the two cities’ facilities which the councils believe will have some great outcomes for our community.
“The joint approach is not only about savings but also cost efficiencies and represents a significant cost saving for both councils.
“This includes the ability to have one membership across all four facilities which is something our people have been wanting for some time.
“This is a great outcome for our community and a fantastic example of how the councils can work together for the benefit of our people.”
AlburyCity Mayor Cr Kevin Mack said the appointment was an important step forward for the Two Cities One Community initiative.
“By sharing the management of the aquatics centres we’re harnessing the strengths of both cities to not only make our costs more efficient but also to provide leading services and facilities to our community.
“This is just one way the two councils can work together, and we look forward to more cooperation to make our shared community an even better place to live, work and play.
With the decision finalised on Monday 23 April 2018, a transition process is now underway to ensure no delay in services once Aligned Leisure commences operation from 1 July 2018.
Aligned Leisure CEO Shane Dunne expressed how excited the Aligned team is by the opportunity to partner with Albury City Council and the City of Wodonga.
“We’ve been developing programs and services tailored for the Albury Wodonga community for the last 12 months and our priority now turns to ensuring a smooth transition with particular focus on the existing staff across the four facilities. We’re committed to working with existing employees and Council leading to commencement to ensure these great community assets continue to provide for the local communities.”
Aligned Leisure will commence operation of the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre, Wodonga WAVES, Albury Swim Centre and Lavington Swim Centre from 1 July 2018.