Council & Business
1 June, 2023
Heritage-listed octagonal pool to be rebuilt with $1.4 million project
Maryborough’s octagonal toddler pool is set to be replaced, with the Central Goldfields Shire Council approving an almost $1.4 million contract. At Tuesday’s ordinary council meeting, councillors moved to grant the $1.36 million project to SJ...
Maryborough’s octagonal toddler pool is set to be replaced, with the Central Goldfields Shire Council approving an almost $1.4 million contract.
At Tuesday’s ordinary council meeting, councillors moved to grant the $1.36 million project to SJ Weir Ballarat Pty Ltd following a public tender process.
It comes after an assessment of the 50-metre outdoor pool found it would need to be demolished and rebuilt at an estimated cost of $6 million — with the entirety of the outdoor pool complex closed since mid-last year.
Speaking at this week’s meeting, councillor Wayne Sproull said restoring the heritage listed octagonal pool would strengthen council’s funding advocacy for the remainder of the facility.
“This has been an item on all of our minds for some time now,” he said.
“What started out as a grant for the main pool has morphed into what we have now — originally the grant was allocated for the main pool, but unfortunately the updated condition report found the olympic pool to be beyond repair which led to the subsequent closure of the pool with views to have it rebuilt or replaced in the future, a cost that was well above that grant amount.
“To their credit, the (council) officers have worked with Heritage Victoria and relevant departments to secure the funding and redistribute it to rebuild the octagonal toddler pool, which was also deemed due for replacement.
“Ultimately this is a step in the right direction for the pool complex and we can possibly leverage from the funds already invested when advocating for the future rebuild of the olympic pool.”
According to the report tabled to council, the scope of work involves decommissioning and draining the toddler pool, conservation and salvage retrieval of the existing hexagonal mosaic tiles applied to the perimeter hob walls, demolition of the existing pool shell and construction of a new concrete pool structure and recommissioning of the plant and pool.
Councillor Gerard Murphy said it was “very positive” the project would go ahead while speaking to the historic significance of the toddler pool.
“The whole complex was built in 1938 and the octagonal pool has the initials of some of the workers who initially built it in some of the tiles,” he said.
“My understanding is those initials are going to be saved in some form, whether that be with a plaque, seat or as the existing tiles which we are working hard to save.
“The good thing about this is the bottom of the pool won’t be concrete, it will be a tiled bottom and at the shallow end of the pool there will be steps coming down into the pool with hand rails for adults and children as well.
“This is very positive for the future of the whole complex, it’s going ahead and that means that things like the 50-metre pool being rebuilt and the whole complex reopening looks positive in the government’s eyes.”