CONSTRUCTION on the Gunnedah Memorial Pool renewal program started on time on Monday, with works expected to take 12 months.
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The $11.4 million project will see a complete upgrade of the facility including improved amenities and activities for children.
“The amenities at the moment, based on assessment, are in a very poor state,” Mr Silver said. “This is a renewal project of a major community asset which is 60 years old.
“When finished the new pool will be eight lanes instead of six and meet Australian standards.”
Mr Silver said the only foreseeable delays to the project would be weather.
“Primarily weather will be an issue because there is not much we can do it about it,” he said.
“The project is for 12 months, what people need to understand is while the pool will take roughly 10 months to complete there is a lot of work around the facility that needs to happen as well.”
Mr Silver also said the safety of the public was paramount.
“We are very conscious of public safety and that’s why all the works need to be done before the public is allowed access to the facility,” he said. “One major improvement that tends to be forgotten at times is that the water quality will meet current sanitation and filtration standards.”
Mr Silver assured Gunnedah residents that the facilities heated pool would remain open over the summer.
“At this stage the heated pool is to remain open,” he said. “However there will be some refurbishment work done to the heated pool but we will endeavor to limit the time it is closed to the public.”
Demolition of the existing pool will begin early next week. Mr Silver said the existing war memorial at the site would not be affected.
“Either side of the war memorial will be demolished but the memorial will remain untouched and be preserved,” he said.
“Demolition of the old pool and facilities is the first item on our agenda, once that is done we will get a much clearer idea of how long each stage will take.”
Demolition is expected to be complete in three weeks.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
