'We want green space more than concrete towers': Woden residents react to Geocon's plans for pool site

Geocon put months of speculation to rest this week when it unveiled plans for Woden’s 50-metre outdoor public pool, revealing through the development application that the outdoor pool will be “decommissioned” within about three years to make way for two towers of residential apartments and a “central plaza”.

In its place, the first stage of construction will include a public aquatic centre with a 25-metre, eight-lane indoor lap pool.

The developer was always going to include a public pool of some sort – in accordance with the ACT Government’s lease conditions – ever since buying the site between Melrose Drive and Irving Street in Phillip in 2023.

Geocon says this will be accompanied by a splash pad, learn-to-swim area, toddlers’ swimming area, leisure swimming area, “program pool with relaxation area”, a steam and sauna room, café, as well as an outdoor water play/splash pad and entertainment area.

The first of four levels of basement parking will also be allocated to pool users, with 54 car spaces available.

All of this will sit at the bottom of two 13-storey towers made up of 286 apartments, with a gap in between to allow for a large skylight over the aquatic centre.

Construction is expected to take nearly two years, and the 50-metre outdoor pool will remain open during that time.

But this is not good enough, according to Fiona Carrick, lead lobbyist from the ‘Save Phillip Pool’ group and now also a member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, who describes it as “disappointing”.

“A 25-metre pool at the bottom of a Geocon tower will not meet the demand of the town centre’s large catchment,” she says.

“Woden attracts people moving through to their workplaces in the north, so the pool is in a very convenient location for people to stop and exercise on the way to and from work, and there are many pool users, including lap swimmers, squad trainees, water polo players and kids.”

She says while the trade-off means Woden will now have access to a pool year-round, and not just during the warmer months, “there’s also the issue of green space”.

“We want green space more than we do concrete towers.”

She vows to continue conversations with the ACT Government about providing another 50-metre pool option to Woden and Weston Creek.

The Woden Valley Community Council is in “furious agreement” with Ms Carrick.

“I’m not a lap swimmer, and to me, 25 metres seems perfectly reasonable, but we had a general committee meeting (20 November), and there were a number of people there who are lap swimmers, and they want their 50-metre pool,” WVCC president Caroline Le Couteur says.

“The council does not object in any way to increased densification of Woden. Clearly, that has to happen. But it shouldn’t happen at the cost to public amenity. Normally, when a population increases, you have to increase your community facilities and not build on top of them.”

Geocon’s plans mean the nearest 50-metre pool is at the Mount Stromlo Leisure Centre, but residents argue this is a “poor substitute”.

“The biggest problem from my point of view is the total lack of public transport, and if you want to ride a bike, it’s all uphill,” Ms Le Couteur says.

“When I grew up, the idea with public pools was that in summer, your parents would say, ‘Here’s X amount of dollars, see you at dinner time’. But this is not going to be like that.”

The DA is up for public feedback on the ACT Government’s Planning website until 18 December 2024.

Geocon maintains the “significant updates and enhancements” to both the pool and neighbouring ice-staking facility “will improve services and continue operations for the community.”.

The Woden pool is open from 6 am to 7 pm, Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday.