Glenorchy City Council has voted on the configuration of a redeveloped Glenorchy War Memorial Pool at its August 2024 meeting.
Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey said Council had considered options for the final configuration of the pool presented by consultants MI Global Partners in an options assessment report following extensive community consultation.
The preferred option was an outdoor and indoor aquatic facility with an outdoor 50m pool, indoor 25m lap pool, indoor 20m warm water learn to swim/program pool, wellness hall (including spa, sauna, and steam facility), leisure/toddler pool, café and a gym.
Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey said that the selected option will be progressed to further design work to inform a business case for Council to seek funding to redevelop the facility in the long term.
Exact costs for a redeveloped facility have yet to be calculated, but Council is advised it would currently be in the vicinity of $80 million.
“A redeveloped pool – a facility which will meet all contemporary standards and cater for a growing community’s needs for at least the next 50 years – will be expensive and Council will need other tiers of government to fund such a redevelopment,” Mayor Hickey said.
“Through the recent elector poll over 22,000 community members told Council of its desires to retain the pool and redevelop it into a modern public pool facility.
“The community also called for Council to apply for future government funding for its redevelopment.
“Importantly, a redeveloped pool will serve as a regional facility as much or even more as the current facility has over the years. Many people told us through our consultation that they travelled from outside our municipal area to use the Glenorchy pool, so being able to make a business case on the grounds that our facility will serve a much broader demographic is extremely important.”
Mayor Hickey noted that while a redeveloped facility is a long-term plan, Council is progressing with the $5 million in repair work on the current pool facility.
“Council’s priority in the shorter term is to use the State Government funding to make the existing pool safe and open for public use as soon as possible,” she said.
“While this is underway, we will be continuing to develop a business case for a new facility, as decided on today, in the longer-term,” she said.
The Glenorchy War Memorial Pool Options Assessment Report can be found on the Council’s
website here – https://www.gcc.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Glenorchy-WarMemorial-Pool-Options-Assessment-Report-Final-Version-1.0.pdf