Sydney is famously known for its Opera House and Harbour Bridge, but less known is Sydney’s ocean pools – home to more man-made seawater pools than any other city worldwide! While not as visually impressive, Sydney’s ocean pools still welcome locals and visitors alike, making this city truly welcoming for both locals and visitors.
Swimming at their local pool is an annual summer tradition for many locals, yet can be costly; most council-owned pools charge almost $10 for a single dip. Now a group of Greens and independent councillors in Sydney are pushing councils to consider free entry during off-peak hours; Melbourne and Brisbane already do this; Sydney councillors want even further-reaching plans than this.
“Pools are public assets and should be available to everyone,” states Greens councillor Matthew Thompson of Snowy Valleys council in far south NSW. It’s ridiculous that it costs nearly $10 to visit one of our pools for one swim.” A trial in Snowy Valleys council showed free entry led to an 18% increase in visits and 241% rise in income generated around the pool through cafe sales and swimming and aquarobics classes – although entry fees did return after this experiment concluded.
Ocean pools are unique to Sydney and New South Wales, originally constructed as an adaption to their city’s rugged coastline and the full force of surf. Their distinctive shapes were designed to fit seamlessly with nature while making swimming in waves easier, according to swimming expert Marie-Louise McDermott. However, their construction has proven controversial; early 20th century builders’ willingness to dynamite rocks, destroy habitats and build clean concrete walls would no longer pass environmental tests today; plus some pools have even been damaged by seaweed and even jellyfish!
As part of its plan to attract more swimmers, Sydney City Council has initiated a $4.5 million restoration campaign at two popular pools: Bronte Baths and Newport Beach Reef. Their aim is for all these pools to be operational by mid-2019.
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