sdy pools

The Sydney harbour and the Opera House may be the city’s best-known attractions, but a less well-known secret is that it’s home to more ocean pools than any other city in the world. This summer, one of these iconic swim spots is set to undergo a long-debated upgrade – and it’s a project that has been plagued by political bickering, pork-barrelling, heritage concerns, and criticism from health experts.

Among the many issues that have popped up during the project’s construction has been a dispute over who owns it and whether or not it should be publicly funded. The mayor of North Sydney, Zoe Baker, claims that the $10m government grant amounted to a windfall, shifting the scope of the project and making it “difficult to understand who’s responsible for what.” Independent federal member Kylea Tink agrees. “This is a really good example of how not to do an infrastructure project,” she says. “It’s been a really messy affair.”

Despite the challenges, the pool is expected to open in mid-October. But it’s a date that will be pushed back if the council can’t find the funds to cover a UNSW epidemiologist’s recommended upgrades, including rapid antigen testing and double vaccination. The pool is also expected to have a chlorinated water system, which will require an additional $20m in funding.

As a result, the council is facing pressure from residents to delay the reopening indefinitely. It’s not clear whether the reopening will go ahead in the end, but even if it does, there are concerns that a chlorinated swimming pool in the heart of the city would be dangerous for locals to use. Moreover, the reopening will make the city less attractive for visitors, who will likely avoid it and look elsewhere to spend their holiday money. This could have a devastating effect on the city’s tourism industry. Fortunately, there are alternatives.