Glenorchy Alderman Shane Alderton says ‘stop finger pointing’, while council seeks pool funding

Council will seek funding to save a swimming pool rife with issues, with an Alderman saying “finger pointing” in the community is not helping.

Glenorchy War Memorial Pool in 2020. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

A Glenorchy alderman says community members upset about the closure of the memorial pool should stop pointing the finger, urging them to instead lobby the government to be able to keep it open.

The pool was closed earlier this month until further notice after it was found to be unsafe, with a number of problems identified including a leak in the pool shell and structural issues.

A report showed the council’s options to make repairs to keep it open would cost millions of dollars and only extend the life of the facility for five years.

Replacing the pool completely would cost $30-40m

Photo of the Glenorchy pool taken two weeks ago. Image: Kelvin Ball.

At Monday’s council meeting, Glenorchy alderman Josh Cockshutt said shutting down the 60 year old pool until further notice was the right decision for the safety of the community.

“The council didn’t take this decision lightly … it was clear we had to act,” he said.

“There’s some really big issues … it’s leaking around 35,000 litres of water a day … the water slide has some structural issues as well, [there are] multiple trip, step and fall hazards.

“A complete refurbishment of toilets, change room areas are required to meet child safety requirements, privacy and accessibility DDA compliance standards.”

New Glenorchy alderman Shane Alderton said the community could help by lobbying federal MPs for funding.

“I am also unhappy like the community we are losing our pool, but I implore the community to stop the finger pointing,” Mr Alderton said.

“Support our council, lobby your local member for government and help us try to achieve the best outcome for our site.”

The council voted in favour of continuing consultation with the state and federal governments on the future redevelopment on the site and providing progress reports on investigations into the site’s future.

“At this stage we’re not discussing specific options and making a decision tonight about what the potential future will be,” Glenorchy mayor Bec Thomas said.

“We will consider all options, we will have a real deep dive into what the potential is, importantly getting information from other levels of government about potential funding support.”

Ms Thomas said there was a deep sentimental connection for many in the community

“I’ve not just received letters from Glenorchy residents about it not being open this season, I’ve received letters from people in the Derwent Valley,” she said.

“We acknowledge pools are regional facilities, however the burden comes down to residents in the particular municipality they exist to fund these facilities.”

How much it could cost to repair Glenorchy Memorial Pool

July 28, 5am

If the Glenorchy City Council chooses to make repairs to its memorial pool, it would take two years for the upgrades to be complete, and only extend the life of the facility for five years beyond that, a council report says.

The pool was closed earlier this month until further notice after it was found to be unsafe, with a number of problems identified including a leak in the pool shell and structural issues.

Glenorchy Council mayor Bec Thomas said the 60 year old pool would not be open next swim season, from October to March, and could even end up closed for good.

“I grew up spending summers at the pool and have continued to use it as an adult. It is a reality though that these facilities have a lifespan, and we need to be certain we are making appropriate investment in our community facilities,” Ms Thomas said. “This means considering not only the upfront cost of redeveloped infrastructure, but also demand and ongoing financial sustainability and the whole-of-life asset cost.”

The report into the future of the pool showed there were five options for the council going forward: to do nothing, to make only necessary repairs at an initial cost of $1.3m, to undergo major upgrades at a cost of 5.1m, to completely replace the facility or to close the pool permanently.

Photo of the Glenorchy pool taken two weeks ago. Image: Kelvin Ball.

“The scale of the issues is such that, even if works were carried out to rectify the main

issues, these works would likely take approximately two swimming seasons to complete and would then only provide about five years of operation given the pool’s overall asset condition and age,” council officers said in the report.

The council report also said doing nothing was not appropriate because of the significant health risks.

Meanwhile, replacing the pool entirely would come at a cost of $30m-$40m, depending on the size of the new facility.

Glenorchy Mayor Bec Thomas. Picture: Chris Kidd

The council had made a bid for $26m in federal grant funding for the pool, but it was unsuccessful.

The pool had been costing the council $400,000 a year to maintain.

“Based on this report, there was no option but to keep the pool closed. We cannot risk the safety of the public or the people who staff the facility,” Ms Thomas said.

“I have been upfront that while we will consider our options, the scale of the work required is not something the Glenorchy City Council would be able to afford on our own.”

The council will table its report on Monday and discuss its options.