Councillor vote: Ocean pools are dead in the water as Gold Coast shuts door on new project
A plan for a series of ocean pools off the Gold Coast is dead in the water after a unanimous vote at a council meeting today. Here’s what turned them against the proposal.
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THE plan for a series of ocean pools off the Gold Coast is dead in the water.
Councillors at a transport committee meeting on Tuesday unanimously backed an officer’s report which found the project had the potential to cost $100 million.
The committee’s recommendation will go full council where Mayor Tom Tate, who will vote, also intends to oppose the ambitious tourism venture.
A Bulletin report had revealed a consultant in a report had found an ocean pool would cost $10 million to build, require $200,000 in annual maintenance along with $2 million in refurbishment costs and last only 20 years.
Businessman and tourism leader Bily James had led a group including paralympic gold medallist Katie Kelly backing a plan for up 15 ocean pools along the coastline.
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Helensvale-based councillor William Owen-Jones told the transport committee meeting: “The report is good. I think with oceanside pools, it’s easy to get excited about them, and particularly residents of our city who were from Sydney and experienced city pools.
“But clearly the report prepared to us today, the Gold Coast is a different geographic layout of beaches to what Sydney in particular has in regards to its headlands.”
Transport chiefs confirmed the potential pools sites put up by petitioners were considered by consultants and the council.
“The consultant particularly looked at Surfers and Broadbeach areas,” the officer said.
Cr Owen-Jones argued the council could face opposition if it started removing infrastructure for an oceanside pool and began building one in front of a groyne in areas like Tugun.
“I love the idea, but clearly when you read the report it actually maybe doesn’t make sense for our city any more,” he said.
Councillor Pauline Young, the committee chair, agreed saying the areas put forward for an ocean pool were already “high use, high demand” areas.
The cost to remove infrastructure would be a huge impost for the city, she said.
“I believe we have to got to consider the whole of our city in these things, not just a certain area,” she said.
Southern-based councillor Gail O’Neill agreed the topography along with the sand bypassing system now at the Tweed would not lend itself to an ocean pool like the former tourism icon at Snapper Rocks.
“We couldn’t afford it anyway. I think the expense of it, the maintenance of it. I didn’t realise until I read this report how often you have to drain that pool to get decent water quality. So that in itself we shouldn’t have it along those foreshore areas.’
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FORMER Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey is urging the council to build an ocean pool as an alternative safe swimming venue after three drownings in horror surf.
A council spokesperson said ocean conditions had “settled down overnight” and all beaches would be opened on Monday from 8am.
“Although the red and yellow flagged swimming areas will be patrolled by the city’s lifeguards, ocean conditions are still unstable with the 1.5 m swell causing strong currents close to shore,” a council spokesperson said.
“Lifeguards are advising swimmers to stay in waist depth water close to shore between the flags.”
Council officers in a report to be discussed by councillors at a committee meeting on Tuesday recommend not proceeding with a plan for an ocean pool. Ms Stuckey suggests a rethink.
The former long serving Currumbin MP said the suggestion that Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks provide a “calm flat-water beach for swimming” were ignorant and deceptive.
“How many times have both these estuaries been named in the top five most dangerous creek mouths to swim during an outgoing tide,” Ms Stuckey said.
“It’s irresponsible to promote them without warnings. Ocean pools are worth the cost and a big tourist drawcard.”
Ms Stuckey said drownings along with shark attacks would drive tourists away from the Coast.
“We have some very dangerous beaches which is why we have so many surf life saving clubs and we have a number of famous surf breaks — definitely not safe swimming spots.”
The RPS group in its report for council found an ocean pool would cost $10 million to build, require $200,000 in annual maintenance costs and last only 20 years.
Businessman and tourism leader Billy James had led a group hoping council would back plans for up to 15 ocean pools along the coastline.
Lifesavers have been pleading with tourists and locals to stay out of the water when Coast beaches were unpatrolled.
Broadbeach gym manager Jake Jacobs, 32, and his female companion Julia Boika, 29, died after a late night swim on Thursday night. Twelve hours later a 34-year-old Victorian swimming at a closed beach at Mermaid Beach died on the shore after being rescued.
EARLIER:
AN ambitious plan to create the Gold Coast’s next big tourist attraction by building several ocean pools has been sunk by the council.
Council officers, after assessing a report by consultants, will advise councillors against the ocean pool project which could cost more than $100 million dollars, the Bulletin can reveal.
Professional services consultancy RPS Group found an ocean pool would cost $10 million to build, require $200,000 in annual maintenance along with $2 million in refurbishment costs and last only 20 years.
Businessman and tourism leader Billy James had led a group hoping council would back plans for up to 15 ocean pools along the coastline.
In an email to council CEO Dale Dickson in October last year, Mr James wrote: “We believe this proposal is the most significant and poignant strategic planning consideration for the community of the Gold Coast.
“Locals, their families and the various industries we all work in will benefit immeasurably by adding these amenities to our natural abundance.”
Mr James suggested Mayor Tom Tate, by backing the initiative, would leave “an everlasting legacy” by creating these “iconic assets”.
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But the report by consultants includes pictures of removing sand and maintaining existing pools like Cronulla in NSW. The pool was closed on average three days in every month for a clean-up.
“The majority of ocean pools (in NSW) were established at a time when the community was less likely to have private swimming pools compared to the current day,” a report to council said.
On the Coast-Tweed foreshore, the Snapper Rocks ocean pool built in 1956 was decommissioned in 1986 due to “several health and safety hazards”.
The Burleigh Heads ocean pool, another to be built by Jack Evans, became part of the Burleigh Pavilion.
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Consultants found the only new ocean pool likely to attract tourists would have to be located in areas like Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
RPS noted the “financial and practical implications of such a proposal are expected to be significant” as the type of pool required would be a larger, more substantial complex than the smaller ‘natural’ tidal pools.
RPS suggested “a more extensive net health benefit will accrue for the residents by providing swimming and fitness facilities in those parts of the Gold Coast that cannot readily access the beaches or swimming enclosures’”.
Council officers in their report listed the city’s 12 saltwater swimming enclosures which include popular locations at Paradise Point, HOTA and Southport Broadwater Parklands.
Paralympic gold medallist Katie Kelly had supported Mr James’ plan, sending an open letter to the Mayor calling for a more inclusive city where people with disabilities could enjoy the beaches.
But the report noted that both Tallebudgera and Currumbin creeks provide “a calm, flat-water beach for swimming” with numerous access points.
Council officers in their recommendations said: “The City has reviewed the consultant’s report and supports the findings and conclusions.”
Councillors will vote on the report at a transport committee meeting on Tuesday.
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