Wadeye Community Pool: Three months after opening, staff crisis sees $4.8m pool closed to public

A multimillion dollar Northern Territory pool that reopened in November after spending five years closed due to lack of maintenance has now shut its doors to the public again. Find out why.

Residents at Wadeye can now swim again after the Wadeye swimming pool was reopened after the West Daly Regional Council completed its $4.8 million refurbishment project. Picture: File

A multimillion dollar Northern Territory pool that reopened in November after five years offline due to lack of maintenance has now shut its doors to the public again.

West Daly Regional Council announced on January 23 that the Wadeye Community Pool, which reopened on November 23, 2023 after a $4.8m facelift, had been closed “due to staffing issues”.

“The safety and wellbeing of our community members are our top priorities, and we are taking immediate action to address this situation,” council said in a statement posted to social media.

“Our dedicated team is working diligently to resolve the staffing concerns and have the pool operational again as soon as possible.

“We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time.”

The council posted a further update on February 5, seeking expressions of interest for locals interested in lifeguard training.

West Daly acting CEO Mark Blackburn told the NT News in a statement that the council had “struggled to recruit and train the required number of qualified staff to manage and safely operate the pool since it has reopened”.

Residents at Wadeye can now swim again after the Wadeye swimming pool was reopened after the West Daly Regional Council completed its $4.8 million refurbishment project. Picture: File

Mr Blackburn said that, under Royal Life Saving guidelines, a minimum of two lifeguards must be on duty at the pool at all times.

Several West Daly staff members who had successfully obtained their bronze medallion to perform lifeguard duties at the pool had since left the council.

The pool operated from 1–5pm on weekdays over the summer school holidays with the assistance of the Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation, but has been unable to open to the general public since.

This week, the pool reopened in limited circumstances to students of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic College, with several staff members who are qualified lifeguards returning to the community.

Mr Blackburn said the council was hopeful the latest round of lifeguard training could upskill enough locals to return the pool to full operations.

The council has also recently advertised a tender for the management and operations of the pool, which closes on Friday.

“A number of councils in the NT and across Australia have tendered out the management and operations of their swimming pools and recreation facilities to national organisations to ensure public swimming pools are appropriately staffed and run efficiently and safely,” Mr Blackburn said.

Wadeye Community Pool was originally closed in November 2018, as it required “significant repairs due to the age of pool and extensive works to rectify the leaking pipes,” according to council minutes from the decision.

This was coupled with “ongoing constant vandalism and associated costs”.