The pool is open – and it looks a million dollars.
The much-awaited refurbishment of the Port Pirie public swimming pool was well received by people after the gates opened for the first time this
season on Friday.
Swimmers of all ages took to the new pool with a smile as the mercury climbed steadily at the weekend.
Emily Treloar, 11, was among the first people to swim in the new pool at the weekend and she gave it a big thumbs up. “I love the new pool. It is so nice,” she said.
According to pool manager of 18 years, Dennis Johnson, the project was expected to cost about $1.1 million.
Mr Johnson said the pool was being well received and offered Port Pirie Regional Council a pat-on-the-back for its timely upgrade of the original pool that he said was built by volunteers for the community before his time as
manager.
Handed over to the local council for caretaking back then, the latest refurbishment of the centre, in Mary Elie Street, has been funded by the Port Pirie Regional Council with money from the Federal Government’s
recession-busting stimulus package.
The pool was redesigned, resurfaced and retiled.
Continued; Funding
From front page
Council planned a state-of-the-art waveless pool of modern design in just 18 months from start to finish.
The pool is complete with walk-in pool access and guide-rail, the new entry providing better access to more people than ever before.
Public reaction to the upgrade has been excellent, said Mr Johnson.
The pool rules remain unchanged but Mr Johnson is urging parents, of non-swimmers in particular, to be mindful of the new pool’s waveless design and to stay diligent.
“The old pool had a lip around it and the little ones could climb in and out but this one doesn’t so parents are reminded to stay within arm’s length of young children near the water’s edge,” he said.
The project includes some additional shade in the form of a large shelter at the northern end of the pool grounds, the shade necessary to replace that cast by the mature trees tagged for removal as they are expected to deposit leaf litter in the pool as a result of its waveless
design.
“The old pool had a lip to catch the leaf-litter. but that no longer exists and the leaves will get swept straight into the pool otherwise,” Mr Johnson said of the decision.
More shade is needed, but it comes at a price, the newest shade shelter alone costing $45,000.
Mr Johnson said he had hopes for the redevelopment of the facility to continue.
He envisaged that in time it would include more shade and the replacement of the junior pool and amenities block.
With talk of a multi-purpose stadium on the table for Port Pirie, Mr Johnson agreed that the precinct of Mary Elie Street from the John Pirie gymnasium to the pool could not be overlooked.
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