Manly Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton pool’s $4 million heating system has never worked
THE pools opened August but the $4 million heating system installed in Manly Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Aquatic Centre is yet to be switched on. And it will not be working until the summer.
Manly
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- Swim clubs threaten boycott of Charlton pool
THE hi-tech $4 million heating system installed in Manly Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Aquatic Centre is yet to be switched on.
The Manly Daily can reveal the system to keep the pool at an even 26 degrees has never worked properly — one of several “teething problems” in the $27.3 million flagship development.
The Northern Beaches Council has been using a back-up generator since the pool opened in August. But the cogeneration plant — which uses gas to generate heat and electricity — will not be up and running until summer, when its heating ability will not be needed.
Among the other problems at the controversial swim centre are:
■ Poor disability access for the elderly and people in wheelchairs trying to enter the centre.
■ An architectural design element which could hinder lifeguard visibility.
■ Too many swim class enrolments.
■ The centre will likely lose money for the “foreseeable future”.
Council deputy general manager John Warburton and the council’s executive manager of aquatic services Peter Livanes said they had listened to the community’s concerns and were working to improve the centre.
The pool was estimated to cost $15 million in 2012. But expenditure blew out to almost double by the time construction finished.
Manly’s other flagship development, the Manly Oval and Whistler St carpark plans, were aborted by administrator Dick Persson citing “significant financial and contractual risks”.
When asked if he thought the current regime would have gone through with this plan, Mr Warburton would not speculate.
“The pool has been built, it is what it is we will make the most of it,” he said.
HEATING PROBLEMS
THE cogeneration plant is a gigantic gas turbine which generates electricity, with the excess heat used to warm the pool. But Mr Warburton admitted it had not been turned on at the grid.
He cited issues with Ausgrid, saying the power supply “can be tricky sometimes and they haven’t been able to connect it to their mains”.
“It is fully installed, fully tested, fully ready to go, it just hasn’t been commissioned because we can’t get that last step,” he said.
An Ausgrid spokeswoman said an application was sent to them on March 22, but “much more detailed technical information about the equipment was needed”.
The information was re-sent on July 22.
The spokeswoman said Ausgrid “expect to complete the final technical review this week, which ensures the equipment works with the existing protection systems on the network”.
The plant will then undergo a series of tests, which are “vital to ensure the equipment can operate safely both within the immediate electrical installation”.
The pool is being heated by a backup boiler system, which has meant lower temperatures.
Mr Livanes said the outdoor 50m pool had seen the most issues, where temperatures had dipped as low as 19 degrees. A burst water pipe caused the extreme low on Friday, September 30.
The pool is generally sitting about 4 degrees below its optimal 26 degrees.
SAFETY ISSUES
ADVICE provided by lifeguards during planning for the pool was not followed by Manly Council.
Mr Warburton admitted that planners were advised that a wave structure in the leisure pool — occupied by young children — obstructed lifeguard line of sight.
“I can only assume the designers and architects working with management team made the call that actually it can be managed with a lifeguard supervision regimen,” Mr Warburton said.
But Mr Livanes said it was not unusual to have line-of-sight issues at pools, and they were appropriately staffed to manage safety.
“The wave is a line-of-sight issue, there is no pool that doesn’t have line-of sight issues,” he said.
He said lifeguards were positioned in a way to make sure line of sight in that area was not an issue.
DISABLED ACCESS
A LARGE number of elderly and disabled swimmers have complained about poor access.
And while the pool was constructed in accordance with appropriate guidelines, the council acknowledges it needs to do better.
“Our customers are telling us, ‘look it is a bloody long way to get up that ramp’,” Mr Warburton said.
“So as far as I am concerned, we need to fix it.”
The council aims to have a new disabled ramp, with easier access to disabled parking on the Balgowlah Rd side of the facility, in the next three weeks.
SWIM SCHOOLS
THE council is running the swim school instead of contracting it out to a provider. It has been inundated with enrolments and is oversubscribed.
It has had to double its intake of swimming teachers, and train more administrative workers.
GYM GRIPES
JUST 47 people have signed up to use the new gym at the swim centre.
The membership was only available as part of a deluxe package which included pools, span and saunas.
It was one of the most expensive annual gym memberships in Sydney at $2700.
“The concept was for a premium service gym,” Mr Warburton said.
“It is clear from having run the pool for three months that is an offer the market has not taken up.”
The council plans to more than halve its fees. The fee reduction is on public exhibition. But pool memberships have increased, said Mr Livanes.
FINANCIALS
THE swim centre is “unlikely to break even in the foreseeable future”, said Mr Warburton.
But, he said that was to be expected.
“Pools don’t tend to make money. I would be surprised if we broke even or made money on that pool. I would expect that we would be in a deficit, that is just the way pools are.
“They are a piece of premium infrastructure and they cost ratepayers money.”
He pointed to Warringah Aquatic Centre as an example.
It costs ratepayers $1.7 million per annum.
He argued the pool was a community facility, and not necessarily about profit.
“No private sector enterprise will invest in a pool, it just costs too much money,” he said.
“Too much can go wrong, you are always replacing heat pumps, it is a very delicate state of chemicals in the pool that you constantly have to monitor.”
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