New 50 metre outdoor pool at Lane Cove Aquatic Leisure Centre proves popular since spring reopening

Opened in October last year, the new 50 metre outdoor pool at the Lane Cove Aquatic Leisure Centre on Sydney’s North Shore has proved a popular addition to the facility through the summer months.

Originally built in the early 1960s, the original outdoor pool served the community well for almost 60 years until December 2018, when structural issues meant a re-build was required.

Reopened on Saturday 3rd October at the start of the 2020/21 swim season, the $12 million project includes a 50 metre outdoor pool and 800-seat grandstand accompanied by a range of accessibility and sustainability features.

The new heated pool has a fibreglass SwimWall, supplied and fitted by S.R. Smith (under contract to builder Crystal Pools), which can be raised to segment the pool for a range of uses for lap swimming, swim meets and swimming carnivals including 4 x 50m lanes, 8 x 25m lanes or even 16 x 25m lanes.

Not only is the pool accessible but the grandstand has accessible seating, while being positioned to provide maximum shelter from sun and rain – also overlooking a grass recreation area on the site’s northern side.

To contribute to Lane Cove Council’s sustainability targets, the grandstand is fitted with a 62kw solar panel system while other sustainability features of the project include energy filters for power and water to reduce waste-water and chemicals used in the pool; and a condensing boiler which uses gas and is 92% efficient as it reuses heat from the flue and the boiler.

Water-saving devices are included in the new on-deck showers and on taps/showers within the change rooms and unisex toilets; LED lighting is installed using the Dali system which allows for sensors and general energy efficiency; a pool blanket helps reduce evaporation and retain heat; and a 22,000 litre rainwater tank was also installed on-site to provide irrigation to the adjacent Pottery Green Oval.

Commenting on the execution of the project, Jane Gornall, Lane Cove Council’s Executive Manager of Human Services, advised “this project reinforced the important role of the Lane Cove 50 metre outdoor pool in community life in Lane Cove and beyond.

“During the build we were able to assist our regional communities by delivering more than 225,000 litres of water drained from the pool testing to the drought-stricken Armidale community.

“We have also been able to reassure the Lane Cove community that we’re being responsible with our water and energy consumption by installing the latest sustainability features on the pool, a key feature we celebrated during the opening of the pool last October.”

Todd McHardy, Chief Executive of facility manager BlueFit, added "the Lane Cove Aquatic Leisure Centre holds a special place in our company as the site we started in 2007.

“The partnership with Council has grown through the GFC, multiple facility renovations, significant COVID impacts and now this outstanding new 50 metre pool.

“The pop-up boom gives us great programming ability for our growing squad, whilst the expanded grandstand allows for larger school and regional carnivals."

The project was funded by Lane Cove Council with contributions from the Federal Government.

The facility is expected to being increasingly busy and to host more of north shore community aquatic events as the North Sydney Olympic Pool closes for a major renovation in the coming months.

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Images: The new 50 metre outdoor pool at the Lane Cove Aquatic Leisure Centre. Credit: Lane Cove Council/Nina Beilby Photography.