Council appoints contractor to replace Bluewater sports floor
September 20, 2016
The community is a step closer to being able to use the Bluewater stadium, following Colac Otway Shire Council's appointment of Ace Floors and Coatings to replace the facility's sports floor.
Under the tender signed off by Council, Ace Floors and Coatings will remove the damaged maple floor and replace it with an engineered timber floor.
Council has decided to make ventilation improvements concurrently with the new floor's installation to achieve optimum cross flow ventilation and protect the long-term performance of the sports floor.
Mayor Frank Buchanan said Council chose to install an engineered timber floor because this floor type was extremely stable.
"There has been a lot of conjecture in the community about the use of maple in the stadium originally and I want to end that right now by saying there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that the flooring type had anything to do with the floor's failure," he said.
"The previous floor in the stadium was hardwood, and it served our community well since the 1970s.
"What we know is that engineered floors are less susceptible to changes in humidity compared to solid timber floors.
"Given the circumstances we think an engineered floor will give Council and our community peace of mind and mitigate any future performance risks."
The total tender price was $765,000, with $720,000 of this figure already set aside from savings and efficiencies identified in Council's 2015-16 budget. Cr Buchanan said the remaining $45,200 would be funded through savings and efficiencies in the 2016-17 budget.
Ace Floors and Coatings has indicated it will take about 10 weeks for materials orders to be fulfilled in order for work to begin onsite.
The removal of the damaged floor and installation of the new floor will take about 12 weeks.
Cr Buchanan said Council looked forward to getting the stadium open to the public.
"The prolonged closure of the stadium has been really challenging for our community and we appreciate both the understanding and resilience of our user groups.
"Throughout this process our focus has been on getting the best possible resolution for our community.
"Legal proceedings regarding the floor and other issues with the Bluewater redevelopment will run parallel with the floor's replacement."
Council Enquiries
(03) 5232 9400