Page 955 - Week 03 - Thursday, 19 March 2015
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further meetings with pool user groups in the coming weeks to discuss how we can ensure that they are able to continue their activities at a suitable facility. The important thing now is to get the best possible information on the cause of the leaks and to consider further possible remediation options.
Sport and Recreation Services are moving to procure an aquatic leak detection expert. A leak detection expert will be fully briefed on the investigations and leak repair work carried out to date and asked to do further investigations in an attempt to determine the location of persisting leaks. Further to this and subject to successful detection, an aquatic engineer may need to be engaged to qualify advice from a structural perspective. Due to the complicated relationship between the indoor and outdoor pool systems, SRS anticipate that all pools may need to be closed for a short period of around two to five days so that further leak detection work can be carried out.
This will build upon the significant investigations of problems that have been undertaken to date and will give further information to the government to use in determining next steps. If remediation is found to be a viable option, quotes will be requested, including advice as to whether such works, if undertaken, would be warranted to ensure additional years of viable use of the outdoor pools. In other words, we need to establish how much it is likely to cost to fix the problem and what level of guarantee we would have that the repairs would be effective. This is important information that will inform whether the work can and will be undertaken.
New decisions to proceed with remediation must be made with an eye on the future and will require a careful assessment of current and anticipated needs. The quantum of any proposed remediation works will have to be considered in line with the lifespan of the pool. As I indicated earlier, conversations with relevant stakeholders have already begun. These discussions will continue over the coming weeks to ensure the disruption to Canberra Olympic pool members and users is minimised.
In addition to closing the outdoor pools, the issue of the leaks has required us to make subsequent decisions around the management of Civic pool. I would therefore also like to inform the Assembly today that the decision has been taken to establish a new management contract for the Canberra Olympic pool. A request for proposal will open this coming Saturday, 21 March, and will seek to establish a new management contract at the Canberra Olympic pool.
Shortly after the request for proposal for Civic pool is advertised, a similar procurement process for a new management contract for the Lakeside Leisure Centre in Tuggeranong will also commence. To date, the two facilities have operated under a single management contract. In the present circumstances it is prudent to ensure that contract arrangements remain tenable going forward.
I would also like to advise members that existing scheduled works to undertake routine repairs to the Lakeside Leisure Centre’s concourse will be occurring in July and August this year. Substantive works will include the retiling of the pool concourse and refurbishment of the change-room facilities. These works will necessitate a
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