With works to commence on the Newcastle Ocean Baths redevelopment on March 14, a number of Novocastrians and councillors have initiated attempts to pause the intended works.
Independent councillor for Ward 1, John Church, also put a motion before council during the February 22 Ordinary Council Meeting in an attempt to do that exact thing.
“I asked that we undertake an independent, external engineers report and coastal management study prior to construction commencing, into the decision to construct a concrete floor and its impact on the retention of the sandy floor,” Cr Church said.
As a significant contract, Cr Church was sceptical that adequate due diligence had been conducted to date.
“Having not spent money on the ocean baths for decades, it is important now that we’ve committed to this multi-million-dollar contract to get it right.”
For his motion to succeed, Cr Church needed the support of other councillors including members of the Labour party majority, however he was voted down.
“I think the councillors who voted against this will need to explain to the people of Newcastle why they have voted against more due diligence on the baths.”
Last week, City of Newcastle released its plan for the Stage 1 works, which outlined the intention to “improve the safety, water quality and accessibility of the much-loved community facility”.
The $14.5 million phase will focus on the pools, lower promenade and pumping system, “addressing key issues identified through detailed community engagement and engineering advice”.
Inadequate community engagement, says FONOB
Community group Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths (FONOB) said they are “hoping for a miracle” that council listen to desperate users and pause construction of Stage 1.
Long term user of the baths and spokesperson for FONOB, Tony Brown, said while some work was required at the site, greater community consultation and collaboration was needed on more critical matters, ensuring the bath’s iconic structural and cultural heritage was preserved.
A council spokesperson cited the installation of Newcastle Ocean Baths Community Reference Group (CRG) as instrumental to considering local concerns and shaping the future of the asset.
The CRG and City of Newcastle reportedly agreed on some heritage issues throughout the consultation process.
However, Brown said more critical issues were declared operational matters and (weren’t) discussed with the community.
He labelled the process “extremely disappointing” and “not consistent” with the council’s statements about transparency and accountability.
Deputy Mayor Declan Clausen refuted Brown’s claims and told NovoNews that statements from FONOB criticising council engagement with the group and wider community were “utterly untrue”.
Cr Clausen said that since November, multiple attempts at communication with the FONOB group had been ignored.
Community condemns concrete cap upgrade
City of Newcastle’s Stage 1 plan to encase the existing natural rock shelf base of the baths with a steel-reinforced concrete cap has attracted the majority of criticism from facility users, who are adamant it will detrimentally impact the sand floor.
City of Newcastle say the upgrade offers “faster cleaning of the pools with less closure time, improve user safety and enhance water quality,” but locals have demanded the retention of the rock shelf and the unique sandy bottom it maintains.
Residents living with a disability are among FONOB’s 2000 petition signees.
They have also expressed concern for the future of the sandy bottom and its therapeutic value, which they believe will be jeopardised by the concrete cap.
“I use the baths as the only form of exercise I can undertake due to physical disability,” baths user Justine Gaudry said.
“The sand bottom is the only way I can walk.
Another user, Jan Walsh, said the current soft sandy bottom was more forgiving for the feet when exercising.
“The concrete bottom at Merewether Baths is, by contrast, slippery and much less exercise-friendly,” Walsh said.
FONOB spokesperson Tony Brown also labelled the concrete addition as a “false economy”.
“We think any potential cost savings council has presented are disingenuous,” Brown said.
“Our big concern is that it will replicate the sea lice and water quality problems they have at Merewether baths and the requirement for twice a week cleaning, whereas Newcastle Ocean Baths is primarily only cleaned once a week.”
City of Newcastle said the new design would continue to see the natural accumulation of sand on the floor, while a new pump system could replace the water of the baths within six hours, significantly improving water quality.
Cr Church observed the community group had “struggled to get a meaningful response on the concrete capping issue ever since they raised their concerns last year”.
He said that councillors hadn’t seen any initial modelling on the cap and weren’t given the opportunity to vote” on options for the facility’s future.
Cr Mackenzie defended councils’ decision to concrete cap the facility, citing the impacts of climate change.
“There are difficult trade-off decisions involved with future-proofing climate-exposed facilities like the Newcastle Ocean Baths,” Cr Mackenzie said.
“The restoration has to respond to the challenges of the future climate, the associated storm events and rising sea levels which all point to increased wave overtopping volumes and more frequent overtopping events.”
Deputy Mayor Declan Clausen said the upgrades had to conform to a Coastal Zone Management plan, a state government requirement that ensured coastal assets addressed rising sea levels.
The upgrade would raise the height of the baths by 1,500mm.
“People consistently tell us they like to walk in the baths … if you leave the baths as is, soon people will no longer be able to walk on the bottom,” Cr Clausen said.
“Engineering advice also showed that there’s fundamentally no difference to the current formation of the baths and what would happen with a concrete cap and the amount of sand that will be deposited on the floor.”
Brown has asked locals to sign an online petition, urging local councillors to act.
“We’re not asking to stop the whole lot because a lot of work needs to be done, but asking to defer the upgrades and work with the community to ensure that for the first time, there is proper due diligence and independent assessments occurring to substantiate any radical changes.
“We want to work with council throughout that entire process to achieve the best outcome for all people in Newcastle and protect and preserve our priceless and iconic asset.”
Brown said they would continue to try and gain urgent state heritage protection for the entire crown lands site and “prevent the de facto privatisation” of the baths’ pavilion in Stage 2 of the upgrade.
The Newcastle Ocean Baths will be closed for the duration of the work, which is expected to be completed by mid-2023.
The next stage of the Newcastle Ocean Baths upgrade will focus on the pavilion and surrounding public areas.
Maia O’Connor
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