Redevelopment of the currently closed Glenorchy War Memorial Pool may be on the cards after the council initiated a project to investigate alternative options for the site.
All councillors passed a motion to commission the report, which is expected to take several months, at a meeting on Monday afternoon.
The 60-year-old pool was closed indefinitely after safety concerns – including a fault in the pool shell that was causing the pool to leak around 35,000 litres of water per day – were uncovered earlier this year.
A range of other problems were also found at the facility, including structural issues with the concrete grandstand and water slide, trip, slip and fall hazards in the concourse, the need for a complete refurbishment of toilets and change-room areas and electrical switchboard upgrades.
Speaking on radio, Glenorchy Mayor Bec Thomas said the council have to make decisions about the pool ‘with their heads’.
“If I was making decisions with my heart, with all of my heart, I want to replace that pool,” Thomas said.
“We have to make sure that we have the revenue coming in to be able to service that asset into the future.”
“We’re not writing it off, we will explore every single option.”
However, with a complete overhaul price tag of around $30-$40m and lack of both State and Federal Government funding, the pool may never open again.
Last season less than 100 people used the pool every day on average at an annual cost of about $400,000 to Glenorchy ratepayers.
Community members have dived into action to save the pool, setting up a Facebook group with over 1,300 members and a petition with 1,509 signatures.
There are currently no immediate plans for the future of the site.
