Lismore councillor Greg Bennett will continue his push to have the Lismore Lake pool re-opened despite staff recommending against the move.
In a report to the council, to be considered next Tuesday, staff have recommended that the council take no further action to re-open the pool.
The report is in response to a notice of motion from Cr Bennett that called on the council to investigate and prepare a report outlining the cost of repair or replacing the Lake Pool.
The Lake Pool at South Lismore was historically a free pool for the public that was constructed in the 1970s. The pool was closed in 2011.
And while staff have recommended that no further action be taken to reopen the pool, Cr Bennett has lodged a fresh notice of motion for Tuesday’s meeting.
The motion calls on the council to commit to restoring the pool as a free facility for the public and commence the project by including the project in the upcoming review of the Community Strategic Plan.
He wants the restoration of the pool to proceed on the basis of no lifeguard supervision being provided at the facility;
He also wants an amount of $55,000 included in the 2016/17 budget to undertake detailed planning and investigations, prepare documentation and call tenders for the work.
The work would ‘proceed on the basis that all capital works funding for the project is from reoccurring income and/or grant income or a combination of both and that no new borrowings are instigated for this project’
In response, staff have detailed reasons for not re-opening the pool.
‘An investigation has been undertaken into costs and issues associated with a potential refurbishment of the facility,’ the report says.
‘The costs are significant, both in terms of capital funds required to undertake the necessary work, and the ongoing operational and maintenance costs of the facility.
‘Council has not listed this project as a priority in Imagine Lismore or made any budget allocations in its forward financial plan to re-open the pool.
‘Should the Lake Pool be re-opened, there will undoubtedly be an economic impact on the financial operation of Council’s two other aquatic facilities at the Memorial Baths and GSAC.’
Staff said the council had recognised the benefit of providing a free water based play facility for the community by including a water play park in the Lismore Park Masterplan.
‘Lismore Park is considered to be a far superior location for such a facility being in the centre of town and close to other attractions for the general public e.g. CBD businesses, other passive and active recreation spaces and Lismore Square, the staff report says.
‘For these reasons, the re-establishment of the Lismore Lake Pool at South Lismore is not supported.’
The council meets on Tuesday, 12 July, at the council chambers in Goonellabah at 6pm.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
