The Glenorchy City Council has officially put the repair of the Glenorchy War Memorial Pool out to tender, with hopes it could be open again by the end of the year.
The pool was shut down indefinitely in July 2023 after leaks and a range of safety concerns were uncovered.
At the time, then-mayor Bec Thomas admitted the business case for keeping the outdoor pool open was “not particularly strong”. She said many locals preferred to visit the Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre just up the road.
“Last season, fewer than 100 people used the pool every day on average, with an annual cost to Glenorchy ratepayers of about $400,000,” she said.
Two months later, the state government provided $200,000 for a specialist assessment to evaluate community needs, costs and future options for the 60-year-old facility.
The assessment, conducted by MI Global Partners, found strong community support for keeping a pool on the site in the long term.
The vision adopted by the council in August 2024 includes an outdoor 50m pool, a waterslide, multiple indoor pools and a spa, sauna and steam room.
Mayor Sue Hickey said this would give the community “a modern aquatic facility for the next 40 years”, but would come at an estimated cost of $84 million.
For now, lobbying efforts are underway to secure funding, while a $5 million investment from the state government will help get the pool operational again in the meantime.
The interim works will include demolishing the waterslide, repairing the concrete grandstand, installing new pool expansion joints, upgrading the entry area and installing a new heating system.
Additionally, an all-abilities accessible ramp will be added to the main pool and pavement repairs will be carried out around the pool surrounds.
The tender process is open until early March and the council is confident the pool will be back up and running for next summer, which starts on December 1.
