Candelo pool will remain closed for repairs until late January. Photo: Candelo Pool Facebook.
Candelo’s famous Olympic-sized swimming pool will remain closed until late January after Bega Valley Shire Council discovered that the render was failing and the pool was leaking.
The failing render was discovered when staff began preparing the pool for its seasonal opening this month.
A press release issued by Bega Valley Shire Council on 19 November reports that major work will begin on the pool shell on Monday, 25 November, following the recent discovery of serious defects in the structure.
The works will include repairs to the expansion joint and significant render remediation and will delay the seasonal opening of the pool until late January ahead of the school carnival season.
The render defects stem back to the pool’s construction in 1996 on behalf of a community group and were discovered during preparations for the pre-season repainting of the pool.
Render defects were discovered during preparations for the pre-season repainting of the pool. Photo: Supplied.
Since then, Council has worked closely with civil and structural engineers to determine the full extent of the issues and identify the correct course of treatment and the materials required.
The Council’s Director of Assets and Operations, Anthony McMahon, says it is frustrating that the rendering wasn’t completed properly when the pool was built and now it needs to be resolved with a reactive repair to get it operational again.
“We completely understand that the situation will be disappointing for the Candelo community and regular pool users, but it is vital to make the pools safe and prevent this being a problem into the future,” Mr McMahon says.
Once the repairs to the shell are completed, repainting will be undertaken, followed by the refilling and commissioning of the pool.
Local schools have been kept informed of the works and Council staff have been working with them to see that Bega Pool can be used for their annual swimming programs.
A report to the 27 November Council meeting will recommend extending the season at Candelo through until the end of April, with season passes to be half price and pool entry reduced to $2 (from $4.50 for an adult and $4 for a child/concession) at Candelo Pool in recognition of the serious impact on the community.
The repair work is being carried out by National Concrete Solutions (NCS). NCS specialises in concrete solutions for the commercial, industrial and civil sectors, including the remediation of concrete infrastructure.
For more information contact Council’s Leisure and Recreation Manager, John Grady, on 02 6499 2222, or email [email protected].
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