Millions of dollars have been allocated to upgrade swimming pools across the Snowy Monaro region. Photo: Supplied.
There is a focus on community swimming pools by Snowy Monaro Regional Council at present.
The controversial Jindabyne pool is undergoing significant upgrades, while funding has been allocated for remedial works at the Cooma and Bombala pools. The Jindabyne pool is scheduled to reopen to the public in June 2023, following an extensive program of upgrades and maintenance.
It closed to the public in 2022 due to safety concerns after the discovery of serious deterioration to the roof structure, caused by the outdated ventilation system.
Funding was secured for these upgrades and replacements, and as the facility was already closed, the council decided to overhaul the filtration and pumping system at the same time. This additional work was needed to fully update the infrastructure at the pool to meet modern standards, requirements and the needs of a growing community.
The original estimated completion date of March 2023 had to be pushed back due to delays with the relocation of key local telecommunications infrastructure.
“There’s still work to be done, but council has decided to keep the community informed as the reopening date approaches,” a council spokesperson said.
Repair work will be carried out at the Cooma and Bombala pools.
Funding received through the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund (Rounds 2 and 4) will allow infrastructure at the Cooma and Bombala pools to be upgraded to ensure water treatment and filtration meets requirements long into the future.
An investigation into the cost of enclosing the Cooma and Bombala pools estimated an additional $4 million to $5m.
After many decades of use, the treatment and filtration systems at these pools are outdated and nearly worn out. The NSW Government funding allowed the Snowy Monaro council to undertake studies to determine priority works to keep pools operational and up to current health and safety codes.
The Bombala pool has been allocated $2,579,530 over the two rounds of funding, with a council co-contribution bringing the total cost of the treatment and filtration upgrade to $2,971,713. The Cooma pool has been allotted $2,465,310, with a council co-contribution bringing the total cost to $2,836,183.
The council has appointed NSW Public Works to oversee management of the upgrades and approved Built Environment Collective to design the water treatment upgrades following a tender process.
A council spokesperson said: “Pools in the Snowy Monaro are an important public amenity, provided to the community at a heavily subsidised rate at the general ratepayers’ expense. A comprehensive strategy for our region’s pools will also need to be developed to account for ongoing maintenance and future costs.”
For more information on pools in the Snowy Monaro, visit www.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au/Recreation/Swimming-Pools or call 1300 345 345.
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