ARARAT - The recommendation by consultant architects that Kokoda Park be the site of the proposed new aquatics and indoor recreation facility was met with opposition at a public meeting on Monday.

More than 50 people attended the meeting, many voicing their opposition to the Kokoda Park recommendation.

The recommendation comes after almost five years of discussion and 12 months of research and community consultation.

The meeting was addressed by Steven Cheney from Suters Prior Cheney Architects, who prepared the report `Building a Better Future Together - Recreation and Aquatics in Ararat', which recommended that Kokoda Park be the preferred location for a new indoor recreation and aquatics facility, over the Alexandra Oval precinct.

The architects also recommended that council continue to develop a masterplan for the Alexandra Oval Reserve, developing it as council's premier outdoor sporting precinct incorporating football, cricket, tennis, netball and other outdoor sports.

It was also recommended that the Ararat Solar Olympic Swimming Pool be excluded from this masterplan process, with a separate masterplan developed for the outdoor pool.

The current Ararat Rural City Recreation and Aquatic Centre (YMCA) has limited capacity for future development and the two sites of Kokoda Park and Alexandra Oval were identified for further investigation prior to making a recommendation for any new aquatics and indoor recreation facility.

This analysis reviewed the two sites with regard to overall planning and urban design objectives together with recreation trends and design considerations.

Urban design considerations included site adjacencies, circulation and access, heritage, mass and height of proposed facilities and views and vistas.

Through Council's previous consultation period a brief of community and user wants was established as well as a future expansion review to ensure the proposed site and facilities were `future proofed'.

Consultation was held with three groups, Ararat Rural City councillors, the Ararat YMCA and the Alexandra Oval Reserve Committee of Management, and planning considerations were developed together with indicative capital costs.

Following a site analysis process by Suters Prior Cheney Architects the following recommendations were made:

Development of the new indoor community aquatics and recreation centre at Kokoda Park, which was based on the following rationale: Expansion potential, future growth of community facilities, traffic and access links, potential links to the retail development to the north.

The development of Alexandra Oval Reserve as council's `principal and premier sport ground' and the development of a long term master plan strategy for a sports ground, clubhouse and associated function room, tennis courts and netball courts adjacent to clubhouse. It was also acknowledged that the future development of a multi-surface hockey surface and the sports ground's integration with the adjacent Alexandra Gardens and J Ward tourist precinct was needed.

Ararat Rural City Council's strategic recreation planner Nicole Frampton said Ararat is very passionate about its sport, and that council had encountered some very strong views about how best to plan for Ararat's recreational future.

"This process has shown us we are very lucky to have two areas so perfectly suited to developing sport and recreational facilities to cater to the needs of our community today and well into the future,'' she said.

Ms Frampton said many of Ararat's existing sport and recreation facilities were at a point where they needed significant upgrading or repair.

In particular, the ageing Ararat Solar Olympic Swimming Pool, Alexandra Oval reserve precinct and indoor recreation facilities at the YMCA were in need of upgrading.

"If we take the Olympic pool as an example, we can see why we need to consider the changing face of our community,'' Ms Frampton said.

"The Olympic pool was built in 1958, and because of leakage and evaporation is now the third highest user of potable water in the municipality at a time when water usage is of vital concern.

"We also know that each year fewer people are using this pool, with only a little over 9,000 visits last season compared with 12,300 the previous summer.

"These facilities have served us well over time, but we need to ask how we are likely to use them in the future and whether it is cost-effective to pay for their repair and ongoing maintenance.''

Ms Frampton said the research clearly showed Alexandra Oval was best suited to become a sports hub, while Kokoda Park had great potential to become an aquatic and indoor recreation headquarters.

"Whatever the Council ultimately decides to do, it's important to understand that none of this will happen overnight - any development will be staged over many years,'' she said.

Council will review the recommendations and make its decision on the future of aquatic and indoor recreation facilities for Ararat at the August council meeting on August 19.