Millicent’s leaky swimming lake to get new floor as council considers $8m complete rebuild

A major rebuild of a popular South-East swimming spot will cost about $8m – with the council deciding on a temporary fix to stop the leaking floor.

The Millicent swimming lake is set to lose its sandy beach and bitumen surface with the local council looking to refurbish the 54-year-old facility. Picture: Wattle Range Council

A major rebuild of a leaking South-East swimming spot is estimated to cost around $8m and take up a year to complete, with the local council voting for a temporary fix to get it open for summer.

Industry experts estimate a rebuild of the Millicent Swimming Lake would cost around $8m and take between nine to 12 months complete.

On Tuesday night, Wattle Range Council voted to embark on stage one of the rebuild and spend about $130,000 to reseal the leaking lake floor, a temporary fix to allow the lake to open next summer.

The reseal could hold for three to four years, according to council chief executive Ben Gower, allowing time to plan the next course of action and decide if it should start the $8m rebuild or explore other options.

A specialist aquatic engineering consultant has proposed a rebuild be carried out in three to four stages, allowing council time to procure funds for the costly project.

A view of the current Millicent Swimming Lake in the summer. Picture: Wattle Range Council

If the council chose to proceed with the rebuild, stage two would include demolition, preparation and construction of the swimming lake walls, floor, underfloor circulation lines and drains and concrete work – about $4.46m.

Stage three would consist of upgrading the lake’s filtration and chlorination systems and the construction of a new pump shed at an estimated cost of $1.28m.

Finally, stage four, could include additional features such a children’s splash park.

The redevelopment could also include the 54-year-old swimming lake receive two new filtration islands doubling as replacements for the old diving board, improved swimming lanes and new touch platform.

It could also have improved disability access – handrails and appropriate flooring and a revamped children’s area complete with a slip-resistant floor, improved sunshades and a new fence.

Improved swimming lanes will be instated as part of the $8m rebuild of the Millicent Swimming Lake. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

The proposition of rebuilding the Millicent Swimming Lake first surfaced in 2023 after it was discovered excessive amounts of water, potentially millions of litres over the years, had been leaking from the lake because of its compromised bitumen floor.

This costly error went unnoticed for years, possibly a decade, because staff were incorrectly reading the water meter – unaware the displayed amount had to be multiplied by 10 to work out the true water use.

Temporary repairs to the leakage were undertaken and the lake was available for swimming for a shortened season this past summer.

In September 2023, the budget allocation of the swimming lake reconstruction project was $739,000. To this date, according to council records, $74,579 of that budget has been spent.