City of Newcastle

To conduct a critical review of its inland pools and provide recommendations. The City’s five inland pools are all of similar age and facility mix. This strategic plan provides a recommended investment strategy for each inland pool to ensure their safe operation and consider enhancements over the next 20 years.

The objectives of this project included:

• Identify and provide evidence to support the estimated life expectancy of each pool’s shell.
• Where relevant, propose repair vs replacement costs.
• Identify any equipment in need of replacement or repairs to meet industry standards.
• Develop a prioritised schedule of works for each facility, complete with cost estimates and timeframes.
• Report based on structural assessment and safety compliance.

The Strategy provides Newcastle City Council with:

• A review of the operational performance Council’s inland pools.
• An assessment of the inland pool’s conditions, undertaken by JWC Engineers (2021). Recommendations were also provided for further testing and the implementation of a five-year emptying schedule for the pools, allowing for more cost-efficient repair, if needed.
• Analysis and recommendations guided by key principles that align future improvements and investment to Council values.
• A classification of the network.
• Individual pool recommendations, sorted as short term (0-5 years), medium term (6-10 years), and long term (11-20 years), with cost estimates.