‘Your move, mate’: Attempt to demolish Lismore Lake Pool fails

The iconic but rundown Lismore Lake Pool has been spared, with fresh hopes to restore it to its glory. See the latest flip in this long-running debate.

A motion to empower volunteers to manage the land of the Lismore Lake Pool at no cost to ratepayers has passed after being challenged with a proposal to demolish the beloved watering hole.

Councillor Big Rob, supported by Cr Jeri Hall, moved to sign a licence to landcare group volunteers Lake Lake Incorporated to perform bush regeneration in the precinct, and to refurbish the pool by seeking grant funding and community fundraising.

“Not one dollar was required by council,” Mr Rob said. “There’s no downside of giving us a licence because we’re going to mow your lawn.”

However, Cr Elly Bird challenged Mr Rob’s motion to see the management handed over to Lake Lake Inc, supporting council’s recommendation to demolish the pool.

Lismore City Council has previously tried to see the pool demolished at a cost of $450,000, and rejected a $2 million grant from Lismore’s Federal MP Kevin Hogan to facility in 2019.

In 2017 consultants told council it would cost $2.7m to rebuild the Lake Pool, and $160,000 for ongoing operations.

So council resolved to not reopen the pool and instead allocated $450,000 in the 2018-19 budget to demolish the pool.

But in March 2018, there was a motion to reopen the pool, which saw council defer its decision either way until June, when it backpeddled on the demolition plan.

Now, the issue has returned and the Lismore Lake Pool was back on the chopping block.

“It’s like a chess game; your move mate,” Mr Rob said. “There’s only two things that can happen. I can either fail and (Lismore councillors) can all laugh at me, or the community gets an amazing asset for free.”

Council called for expressions of interest to manage the Lake Pool in October 2021, but no responses were received.

This silence was council’s main justification for moving to demolish the facility.

The Lismore Lake Pool in its prime in the 1970s, as a free public amenity for young and old.

Mr Rob said Lake Lake Inc had not applied – and he had not tabled any motions regarding the pool – because he was under the impression that after a private negotiation with council staff, the licence would be handed over and Lake Lake Inc would take over land management.

“I was shocked to see in the August business paper that they put in an item to demolish the pool,” he said.

Mr Rob was previously president of the Lismore Lake Lake Incorporated Committee before resigning when he ran for council - but maintains a keen interest in the facility.

“We’ve costed reloading the pool at $200,000 and then redoing all the pumps at under $150,000,” he said.

“So if we can get even half-a-million-dollars, we can bring that pool back to life.”

The Lismore Lake Pool in its prime in the 1970s.

He said signing a licence instead of a lease agreement means that council retains ownership of the land, and can kick Lake Lake Inc out at any time.

The attempt to sink the pool was shot down six votes to three, with council resolving to provide the licence necessary to Lake Lake Inc to manage the land.

Voting for: Councillors Bing, Gordon, Guise, Hall, Jensen and Rob.

Voting against: Councillors Bird, Ekins and Krieg.

The Lake Pool at South Lismore was historically a free pool for the public that was built in the 1970s. The pool was closed in 2011.