BlueFit, a leisure facility management company, is the current leaseholder of the Brighton Golf Course site, having taken over management from Leisure Management Services in July 2023.

BlueFit is a leisure focused company that manages aquatic centres, golf courses and leisure facilities all around Australia. In Bayside, BluFit currently also manages and operates the Sandringham Family Leisure Centre swimming pool.

Find out more about BlueFit via their website.

Council currently receives rental of $256,000 plus a small turnover rent ($28k last financial year) for the entire golf course site. The creation of three new leases will add new revenue streams once rent-free periods are completed. It should be noted that if the Wellness Centre Proceeds, Council will be entitled to turnover rental from the issue of Certificate of Occupancy capped at twice the rental.

The Tenant will also contribute $1M towards the Warm Water pool, plus $495,000 towards the Pro Shop component and pay a commencing rental of $60,000 plus 1.5% turnover rental. The tenant is responsible for operational costs associated with running the Warm Water Pool under that lease.

The investment and proposed rentals are included below for each of the sites.

The creation of three new leases will permit Council to separate the land for the proposed public Warm Water Pool from the Golf Course and the land for the proposed Wellness Centre (a separate private development proposed by the BlueFit). Proposed works will be subject to all applicable building and planning permit processes and requirements.

While BlueFit's current lease for the Brighton Golf Course does not expire until 2028, terms for the three leases need to be agreed to permit the securing of finance for the proposed Wellness Centre and access to the site to construct the Bayside Warm Water Pool.

Brighton Golf Course provides a value for money golfing option. Further investment into the course will support ongoing user benefits provided by golfing activities.

There are significant social and physical health benefits associated with the use of warm water pools including quicker recovery from illness, injury, and surgery.

The Wellness Centre will also provide an outlet for relaxation and wellbeing services which can support community wellbeing.

The course will remain a public par 67 course, however, accommodating the proposed Warm Water Pool and Wellness Centre would mean alterations to the 9th and 12th holes.

The 9th hole is proposed to be reduced to a par 4 and the 12th extended to a par 5. BlueFit will be investing in course improvements including tees and greens and a new Pro Shop, proposed to be in the Warm Water Pool building.

The current short practice fairway will cease to be used under the proposed changes, but a new indoor specialist golf training and coaching facility will be created in the existing Pro Shop instead.

BlueFit also plan to introduce new practice hitting cages to allow golfers to warm up before teeing off.

There will likely be a small number of trees removed to support the Golf Course improvements and realignment of holes. This will be offset by additional planting on the course.

The Warm Water Pool will result in some loss of open space and likely require vegetation removal including some larger, more significant native trees.

The Wellness Centre will lead to extensive planting on the site with proposal to plant 500 indigenous plants above and beyond any offsets required for any vegetation removal. Any vegetation loss would be more than offset by planting around both facilities and throughout the golf course.

The development of the Warm Water Pool recognises the significant impact traditional design and operation of aquatic centres have on the environment and recommends that a future design process maximises environmentally sustainable design principles, preferring use of electricity over gas with a strong focus on water consumption and harvesting.

The Wellness Centre site will be five-star green rated and incorporate Council’s biodiversity values. Should thermal water be available, energy offset may be possible to both sites.

The Brighton Golf Course site covers an approximate area of 320,000m2.

A warm water program pool facility including concourses, amenities and plant room would be approximately 1,611m2 in size. It is expected that the Wellness Centre will be larger at approximately 1,800m2.

If Council does not progress the lease proposals and defers consideration until the current Brighton Golf Course lease expires in 2028, it will impact access to the land at Brighton Golf Course to undertake construction of the Warm Water Pool.

This would also affect the development of the Wellness Centre, to which Council has already given landlord consent in June 2022 to proceed with design for the Wellness Centre, following community consultation and support for the proposal.

Not proceeding with a new lease may also limit capital investment back into the golf course with five years remaining on the existing lease.