Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths (FONOB) has requested the NSW Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman investigate what the group say are “a number of serious community concerns” relating to the Newcastle Ocean Baths upgrades.
The announcement comes two days after the City of Newcastle closed the baths for extensive renovation works on March 14.
While FONOB said that it welcomed the long-overdue works to enhance the pool’s pumping system and make the dilapidated pool area safe, it said there was a pattern of “apparent inconsistencies” with the NSW Government Tendering Guidelines.
It also expressed concerns for potential additional costs arising from “an apparent rushed tendering process”.
“We understand the NSW Government has invested $3 million into this project … Minister Tuckerman and the regional community must be confident that City of Newcastle has followed the government’s Tendering Guidelines to avoid serious cost-blowouts, substantial delays and derive value for money,” a FONOB statement read.
“We understand Minister Tuckerman highly values NSW local councils’ full openness, transparency, accountability and genuine public consultation … and our evidence suggests City of Newcastle may have been deficient in these critical areas of the $14.5 million Newcastle Ocean Baths Stage 1 project.”
City of Newcastle rejected the claims and said they had “comprehensively and repeatedly responded to questions regarding Stage 1 works at Newcastle Ocean Baths”.
“The claim of tendering irregularities by FONOB is the latest in a long line of stunts designed to prevent the restoration of the Baths,” a spokesperson said.
“Each and every claim they make is made directly to the media and without any communication to City of Newcastle engineers.”
FONOB voiced additional concerns regarding City of Newcastle’s relationships with community groups such as their own, and other stakeholders who held “alternative views on similar contentious planning and related issues”.
“There has been insufficient public consultation on key changes at the baths, including the new proposed concrete floor and belated public disclosure of the REF – apparently undertaken by GHD, the project’s chief design consultant,” a FONOB statement said.
“We encourage City of Newcastle to act in good faith to protect and preserve the existing natural rock shelf from the imposition of a new, unwelcomed, massive $1.5 million concrete floor until Heritage NSW and Minister Tuckerman have completed an independent expert review process.”
FONOB spokesperson Tony Brown said the proposed concrete base would “seriously detract from the priceless benefits” of the existing natural rock shelf and the stabilised layer of soft sand was “invaluable” to the baths experience.
City of Newcastle has maintained that engagement with the wider community was sufficient and that “the design was heavily shaped through the iterative feedback provided through the Community Reference Group (CRG) design review process including FONOB feedback”.
The CRG was formed in March 2020 and included representatives from FONOB, Hunter Regional Committee of the National Trust, Newcastle East Residents Group, Pirates Swimming Club, nine community representatives, and representatives from Access and Guraki Aboriginal advisory committees.
“City of Newcastle has received many letters and feedback from community members in support of restoration of this iconic site,” a City of Newcastle spokesperson said.
A spokesperson from the Office of Local Government said correspondence had been received from FONOB and that it would be reviewed.
However, the spokesperson said that tendering decisions were a matter for individual councils, subject to their own tendering provisions and those of the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government (General) Regulation.
The request to Minister Tuckerman is a second attempt by FONOB to halt intended works at the site.
On March 4, the group announced that it had applied to Heritage NSW for urgent interim heritage protection to prevent the installation of a concrete cap on the natural rock shelf bottom.
Maia O’Connor