Ocean bath battle reaches rock bottom

As the Newcastle Ocean Baths stage one upgrade draws closer, a stand-off between a local group and council is gathering steam — and one particular change has regulars fuming.

Artist’s impression of the Newcastle Ocean Baths upgrade. Picture: Supplied.

As the Newcastle Ocean Baths stage one upgrade draws closer, a stand-off between a local group and council is gathering steam.

The $9.5 million works that are due to commence in March will see a total restoration of the pool and promenades over the course of 18 months.

The design also includes a new concrete floor and will cap the natural rock shelf which is as old as the pool itself, 109 years to be exact.

And this is where the conjecture rages.

Regular users of the facility are angry that the pool’s current sand-based floor should stay in place, arguing that the proposed concrete capped base will be similar to Merewether Baths which they believe has its own problems.

Newcastle Ocean Baths. Picture: Steve Dick

President of the Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths Inc, Peter Wickham, is demanding a reconsideration of the decision.

“The majority of the people that actually go to these baths want to keep the sandy base,” Wickham said.

“A lot who are voicing their opinion are older people that need it as they walk through the water for fitness and rehabilitation. They can’t use Merewether because the bottom of that pool becomes slimy and is prone to sea lice.”

Council argues that the final design addresses the undulating rock bottom with the concrete layer and will facilitate a faster cleaning process, create less closure time, and be safer for the public. It’s also believed the new system will still see a natural accumulation of sand at the pool’s bottom.

Baths regular Tony Brown wants proof of the council’s study.

“Council is saying we have the expert reports and we’re saying, well, provide it,” Brown said. “They tell us they know what they’re doing and everybody else has got bullshit excuses. It’s arrogance. It’s the largest pool of its type in NSW, it’s priceless and we want the best for it and for everyone.”

Artist’s impression of the upgrade. Picture: Supplied.

The new council has until March to reverse its decision on trapping the natural rock.

“What we’re saying is keep the rock platform which has been there for 109 years and let the sand build up on that because it’s the rock shelf that anchors the sand in. If you put a smooth concrete base over it, there’s nothing to retain the sand. Why spend $1-5 million for that when it can be kept the way it is. There’s a way of smoothing down rocks without doing it the way they want,” Brown says.

Newcastle independent councillor John Church called a notice of motion in November last year to get council to undertake an independent and external engineers report into the decision to concrete the floor and its impact on the retention of a sandy floor.

“The retention of sand is not a foregone conclusion,” Cr Church said. “The notice of motion was denied because it was four days late for the January meeting. So I’m going to take that notice forward to February now.

“The friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths have more than 15 thousand paid-up members. On the community reference group headed by council, they were allowed only one member. This is an issue this council has long had in the last term and I hope it doesn’t continue in the next term is that they adopt a position and defend it, instead of listening to the community,” Cr Church said.