Overview
She's the grand dame of Sydney pools, with a one-of-a-kind location on the edge of the harbour and a history that dates right back to 1936. But according to the experts, the North Sydney Olympic Pool is in pretty bad shape and needs some drastic upgrades. Fast.
In the wake of an engineer assessment, which deemed that the 50-metre pool and grandstand were "deteriorating rapidly" and "nearing the end of their usable life", North Sydney Council has submitted plans for a hefty revamp. The proposal clocks in at a cool $57.9 million, with the council only able to cover $28 million of the cost. It's hoping to secure the remaining $30 million from the State and Federal Government.
If the funds do not become available, there are fears the pool could close. "Independent engineering consultants have confirmed that the 50m pool, concourse and grandstand require urgent remedial work so we are progressing to DA stage to keep the project on track," North Sydney Council General Manager Ken Gouldthorp said in a statement. "However, unless grant funding becomes available, we will need to look at our options. No one wants to see North Sydney Olympic Pool close."
The new design features an upgrade to the existing 50-metre pool along with a new grandstand and indoor gym, a sundeck, a cafe, 25-metre indoor pool and a family leisure area complete with warm water play zone.
North Sydney Olympic Pool.
A revamp has been on the cards since back in 2014, when North Sydney Council first started developing potential design options for the project. It gathered extensive feedback on the six leading concept plans and ended up with this current proposal, which will soon be placed on public exhibition for a fresh wave of community consultation.
Across its 83 years of life, the historic pool's played host to the Empire Games, survived a length change to fit in with the then new metric system, and witnessed 86 world records, set by the likes of Murray Rose, Dawn Fraser and Shane Gould.
It's not the only Sydney pool to feel the effects of age — it was revealed late last year that Balmain's Dawn Fraser Baths was in need of a $6.7 million repair job, while Lane Cove Aquatic Centre's 50-metre pool was forced to close ahead of schedule due to safety concerns bumped up by a mix of old age and wild weather.