The Glenorchy Pool appears poised for repair and re-opening following the state election, with both Labor and the Liberals pledging $5 million for the project if they win government.
Labor took the lead and were the first party to announce the commitment on Saturday morning.
Candidate Josh Willie said the party intended to work with the Glenorchy City Council to reopen the 60-year-old pool, hailing it as a “good decision for greater Hobart and the northern suburbs”.
The pool was closed last year after the council found it to be deteriorating, cracking and leaking – with a lack of funding preventing the council from undertaking interim works.
The Liberals’ Nic Street said the $5 million will allow the pool to reopen while longer-term, permanent solutions are developed.
“The Glenorchy Pool is an institution in Hobart’s northern suburbs and its closure was a real blow to the local community,” Street said.
“In September, the Rockliff Liberal Government announced an allocation of $200,000 to investigate options to conduct a full evaluation of the pool and calculate both the development and operational costs of replacing the pool.”
MI Global Partners are currently undertaking an investigation into the future of the pool, with public consultation sessions scheduled for Glenorchy, Moonah and Claremont next week.
While community members welcome the decision to support the pool’s reopening, some have voiced concerns about why action couldn’t have been taken sooner.
