By Marcus Uhe
The recently formed South East Leisure has been announced as the latest member of the Sports Environment Alliance (SEA).
Wholly owned by the City of Greater Dandenong, South East Leisure will manage Dandenong Oasis, Noble Park Aquatic Centre, Dandenong Stadium and Springers Leisure Centre from July 2022.
South East Leisure Chief Executive, John Clark explained the company strives to support and contribute to Council’s vision for the City of Greater Dandenong to be one of the most sustainable cities in Australia by 2030.
“Becoming a member of Sports Environment Alliance is important to us, as it will enable South East Leisure to connect, learn, and share environmentally minded ideas, practices, and successes with like-minded companies,” Mr Clark said.
“We are currently working on the Dandenong Wellbeing Centre project, which will replace Dandenong Oasis. In line with Council’s Sustainable Buildings Policy and declaration of a Climate Emergency, it will incorporate a broad range of sustainable measures and aim to achieve a minimum 5-Star Green Star accreditation.”
The all-electric Dandenong Wellbeing Centre incorporates a number of sustainable design principles to achieve net zero emissions such LED lighting and the use of natural daylight, drought tolerant native vegetation and rooftop solar panels.
Director of Business Engineering and Major Projects at City of Greater Dandenong Paul Kearsley said that sustainability encapsulates the people and culture of the City, not just the environment.
“Council works in partnership with our stakeholders to implement sustainable design principles in our construction and operation of major projects and sport and recreational precincts,” Mr Kearsley said.
“Severe weather events will become more frequent as global temperatures increase. Climate change can impact sport and recreational pursuits in our municipality.
“CGD prioritises the health, wellbeing and safety of our patrons at our sport and recreational precincts while striving for ongoing sustainable environmental efficiencies.”
In welcoming South East Leisure to the fold, SEA Chief Executive, Dr Sheila Nguyen added that she looks forward to working with a start-up that already puts such emphasis on protecting the places where we play for generations to come.
“As a collective, our members have the capacity to make a real difference to the sport and planet game and we are here to support them every step of the way.”
