Gungahlin Pool repair completion pushed into 2022

The Gungahlin Pool at the Leisure Centre will be closed until at least 2022 after delays to repair works. Photo: Dominic Giannini.

Delays to the repair work on the 50-metre pool at the Gungahlin Leisure Centre means construction will not be finished by the end of the year as previously hoped, the ACT Government has confirmed.

The works require installing a new “pool tiling system” that includes a waterproofing membrane and grout repairs.

The pool’s tiles have been removed and the pool has been prepared for the re-tiling, but work cannot continue while restrictions are placed on the Greater Sydney region. The current COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney means tiling contractors cannot travel to the ACT.

People from the Greater Sydney region have had their lockdown extended until at least 30 July, and ACT Health recently cracked down on exemptions granted to construction workers after a worker on a Goulburn site tested positive on 9 July.

Last week, Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said it was highly unlikely exemptions would be granted for construction workers.

“[ACT Health] is being very strict about applying the [exemption criteria], particularly for essential workers. It has to be absolutely essential and part of that is around a time factor as well,” she said.

The tiles at the Gungahlin pool needed to be completely removed following complications. Photo: Dominic Giannini.

Only a small number of exemptions are being granted by ACT Health and construction workers do not rank in the top three occupations, Ms Stephen-Smith said.

No further information has been provided on the updated timeline due to the fluid situation in NSW and rolling lockdowns in Sydney. These have already been extended once and may be extended into August if case numbers do not fall to the required levels.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejikilian said the number of people in the community while contagious needed to fall to near zero for the lockdown to end.

On Monday (19 July), 20 people were infectious in the community, a further 17 were in the community for part of their infectious period and the status of seven cases is under investigation.

Repairs on the Gungahlin Pool will cost $1.5 million. The ACT Government signed a contract with local construction company Kynetic in March to carry out the repairs, greatly exceeding the $400,000 settlement between the ACT Government and the pool’s original builder.

Updates on progress will be posted at Gungahlin Leisure Centre. Locals can contact actpg@act.gov.au with any enquiries regarding the repair work.