The City of Hobart has pulled the plug on the idea of building a warm water pool at the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre after project costs spilled past the initial $7 million estimate.
A $7 million hole in funding was identified in August, with just a single quote of around $14 million, which is now invalid, received during the tender process for the pool.
A clause in a $3.4 million Federal Government grant set aside for the pool means that funding will dry up by the end of the year and if the project drags on past July 2024, a $2.65 million grant from the State Government will also be lost.
During a council meeting on Monday night, councillors were given a project update recommending that council staff inform both the Federal and State Governments that the project cannot proceed “at this stage”.
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the council will continue to seek funding support from all levels of government whenever opportunities arise and hopes for a positive outcome in the future.
“Really significant organisations like the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Association, the Council of the Ageing, Autism Tasmania … there was about 10 organisations that, when I called them, they were really ready to work with us and try and push for it,” she said.
“They just can’t believe that we have such poor facilities in Hobart … the whole physiotherapists industry, they just cannot use hydrotherapy as a tool in the mix because there’s just so few facilities.”
“I think they would really like us to keep pushing for it in some way, it may still take a few years but I think they’re certainly quite distressed that this facility isn’t going to be available to people.”
At a size of 18m x 10m, the warm water hydrotherapy pool aimed to address a shortage of suitable pools for hydrotherapy in Southern Tasmania and includes consultation rooms, ramp access and fully accessible change rooms.
