Dawn Fraser Baths, Balmain opening: No investigation into pool delays

Balmain locals have been dealt another blow in the Dawn Fraser Baths saga, with a government watchdog knocking back a request to investigate delays.

The NSW Auditor General will not probe delays into works at Dawn Fraser Baths because the government body is too poor to look into it, Inner West Council has been told.

The Auditor General wrote to the council on Monday to confirm the series of bungles which have seen residents miss out on two swimming seasons at the iconic Balmain pool would not be investigated.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne last month asked the authority to look into why council’s workers had been dealt delay after delay with a series of fresh problems coming up during the prolonged works.

“Like any agency we have finite resources and must target our resources to do the best with what we have at our disposal,” the letter to council stated.

The baths, pictured here, have been closed off to the public since works began. There is no firm date for when it will open again.

“As such we are unable to complete such an audit.”

The situation at the baths has become a flash point between councillors over recent weeks.

In March the council’s acting general manager quit his job early over the mayor’s call for an investigation.

Long term public servant Brian Barrett described the move as “an enormous betrayal of the executive and the staff” in a searing email sent around the council.

On his last day in the job, he reignited his feud with the mayor, emailing staff a detailed memo which stated Cr Byrne had five personal staffers, which is more than several other councils in Sydney and costs ratepayers $2.1 million over four years.

In 2018 the baths had a funding shortfall of $2.2 million for urgent repairs.

The Auditor General told the council in its letter that it could look into the delays themselves through other avenues including its internal auditors, Ernst and Young, who are contracted to the Inner West Council.

There is still no date set in stone for when the pools will re-open.

The council’s website states it has been given a “tentative completion date” of April 22 and that the opening will be held “as soon as possible”.

Some council sources have said that several other dates have been proposed but nothing has been confirmed.