Sydney offers plenty of ocean pools for all your ocean swimming needs – from Bondi Icebergs and Rockpool to rock pools where sharks don’t lurk – to Instagrammable spots like McIver’s Ladies Baths, Art Deco Clifftop Pool at McIver’s Edge, South Curl Curl Bilgola sea pools and Bilgola sea pools.
Sydney Harbour City’s iconic beaches are a summer must, but so too are its numerous council-owned and operated saltwater pools. Many can be found throughout its western suburbs such as Balmoral Baths, Murrage Rose Beach and Dawn Fraser Baths; Nielsen Park in Vaucluse and Bayview Park at Concord also feature saltwater pools with distinct characteristics that draw crowds in.
UNSW epidemiologist Professor Marylouise McLaws advises councils in advance of their reopenings that they must be “very careful and vigilant” regarding water safety. People should use common sense when swimming in open water environments such as ocean or river environments. She suggested wearing protective sunscreen and swimming with others in groups for maximum effectiveness. If they prefer, heated indoor pools with lifeguards might also provide safer options, she advised.
Councils’ ability to manage reopening pools will likely be put to the test in coming months, particularly in the city’s west. A major challenge will be accommodating an influx of visitors that could strain capacity and services; one solution would be having enough staff and lifeguards on hand at all times to manage crowds effectively; however, this may not always be feasible.
But the project’s high bill is making matters worse, says Baker, “it’s not our bread and butter to undertake such large-scale projects”. She and two allied councillors have voted against the North Sydney pool 23 times, petitioned OLG for action, and filed formal complaints with Ombudsman Australia.
She attributes the project’s difficulties to a $10m government grant that turned the pool renovation project from being straightforward into becoming a political statement. “It was like winning a raffle without purchasing tickets for it,” says Reitan.
Community leaders will now need to find ways of covering the millions needed to maintain it beyond hosting swimming carnivals, Tink says. That may involve charging to host fashion week shows, production companies and private parties – events not traditionally considered part of a council pool’s purview but which may generate enough income to offset expenses – instead of leaving it idle, which wastes public money while jeopardizing a historic asset’s future.