How much longer can this go on? North Sydney Pool $89 million revamp delayed again.

By ANNA USHER

Local swimmers are again furious following news North Sydney’s historic Olympic pool complex has been further delayed until July 2024.

This time, the cause is a defect in the roof frame of the project’s 25-metre indoor pool, with the structure needing to be pulled down after a “significant design and construction problem” was detected.

North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker said the council launched a review into the matter after the “defects” were identified.

“It’s really disappointing that these issues are continuing to arise. That said, I’m confident [the council and external project managers] will be able to manage the project to completion.”

It’s been three summers since swimmers were able to take a dip at the iconic pool, built in 1936 and originally meant to reopen in November 2022.

A report to councillors at Monday’s meeting said the latest blowout to the completion date was due to “ongoing design and construction issues across the project”.

“Council’s design consultant and construction contractor have been working to resolve this issue. The exact extent of this delay is currently being quantified.”

A spokesman for Icon, the company contracted to renovate the pool, told the Sydney Morning Herald that council had “full responsibility” for the design of the project.

“He [the spokesman] said the design documentation for the project had been incomplete when Icon won the contract and this had led to “extensive delays and numerous variations, which have created substantial additional costs on the project,” the Herald reported.

“North Sydney Council is in receipt of a number of claims, including in relation to delays and escalation.”

The council said its budget for the pool remained $86 million, however, a review by consultants PwC predicted that the final cost would be at least $89 million – $31 million more than the original estimate.

Baker said the council-appointed external project managers had been reviewing multiple requests for contract variations, mostly related to time extensions and construction costs, for the revamp.

“The crux of the ongoing issues this council has inherited with the pool is … the early planning resulted in two separate contracts. As I raised at the time, it would have been a simpler and better process to have a single design and construct contract.

“At the end of the day the pool will be opened, but it has to be of the highest quality we can deliver,” Baker said.

The Icon spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald that the company recognised the responsibilities associated with the redevelopment of “one of Australia’s most historic swimming pools”.

“We welcome the council’s belated acknowledgment of the shortcomings in the design process and the need to appoint someone to co-ordinate and oversee the design elements.

“We remain confident that, when completed, the redevelopment will more than live up to the high standards expected for this iconic community asset.”