Further delays in redevelopment of North Sydney Olympic Pool

The redevelopment of North Sydney’s historic Olympic pool complex has been further delayed after defects were discovered in the roof frame.

North Sydney Council has advised that the roof frame for the $89 million project’s 25-metre indoor pool had to be pulled down after the “significant design and construction problem” was detected with the steel structure.

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

With the iconic harbourside pool closed in early 2021, and work beginning in March of that year, it was originally meant to reopen in November 2022.

This followed the Council signing a contract with construction company Icon at the end of 2020 to build the new complex designed by Brewster Hjorth Architects.

However, cost blowouts, delays in material supply, heritage concerns and controversy over a Federal Government grants scheme have delayed the project.

With the last advice on reopening anticipating completion in May 2024, this latest issue is expected to delay reopening until much later next year.

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

The report added “more recently, a significant design and construction issue has been encountered in relation to the structural steel roof framing over the 25-metre indoor pool, resulting in the disassembly of this work.

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

An Icon spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald that the Council had “full responsibility” for the design of the project.

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”.

He said significant inflationary pressures on materials had also increased costs, adding “North Sydney Council is in receipt of a number of claims, including in relation to delays and escalation.”

A council summary of PwC’s confidential report in April was critical of the council’s decision to have separate design and construction contracts for the project.

Mayor Baker, a critic of the previous administration’s handling of the pool project, said the council had identified, following the consultants’ report last year, that there would be delays and cost overruns.

In October last year, the redevelopment of the Kew Recreation Centre in inner eastern Melbourne was halted following the collapse of its roof.

The collapse, which occurred at 10pm in the evening, resulted in no injuries as nobody was on site at that time.

Images: Concept for the completed redevelopment of North Sydney’s historic Olympic pool complex (top) and heritage elements in the facility are being preserved (below, credit: North Sydney Council).