Sydney pools are among the city’s best-kept secrets, drawing swimmers, sunbathers and photographers alike to these hidden gems dotted along its beaches and ocean’s edge. Attracting swimmers, sunbathers and photographers, they serve as summer highlights for both residents and visitors.
Each day before surfers and soft sand runners pound out on the waves, pilgrims carrying towels and goggles make their way through the spray of crashing waves towards patches of placid sea where they swim, float, sit or read; others bring picnics or simply soak in views that have inspired generations of artists.
Though beautiful, these pools come with risks. Jellyfish often wash in with the tide, while sharks pose a constant danger. Additionally, the sea can be unpredictable, forcing swimmers to navigate rocks and debris that churn up on its surface as well as possible riptides that form.
Australia’s iconic ocean and outdoor pools remain one of its greatest assets despite these challenges, drawing both visitors from overseas as well as locals alike to them. Tourists and locals alike come here for relaxation or competition – often making it onto “must-do” lists or best swimming pool lists online. Yet these iconic aquatic centers could soon disappear altogether due to decreasing public funding and ageing infrastructure rendering them vulnerable to decline and possible closure.
Zoe Baker, independent federal MP and North Sydney mayor, blames poor governance as the root of all evil for what she describes as an out of control project with budget overruns totalling $100m that now won’t open until 2025 at least. Council infighting and claims of pork-barrelling have compounded her dissatisfaction as opening dates continue to slip further away.
Baker has cast her vote against the North Sydney Pool 23 times and lodged several formal complaints to both OLG and Ombudsman. She believes it is not within the purview of local council to oversee such costly projects – she regards parliamentary anti-pork barrelling bill as being a welcome, yet late, safeguard against similar political follies in future.
Baker hopes the council can recoup some of its costs with charges from fashion week shows, production companies and private parties – outside of its usual scope – using it for fashion week shows, production companies or private parties outside its typical use as a local pool. But if this approach fails, she suggests they reassess priorities and reconsider why a pool in the city centre exists in the first place: “We need to have a serious discussion as a community about managing public infrastructure rather than just building the pool itself,” she suggested.