Every morning at dawn, swimmers rush into Sydney’s ocean pools before dawn to swim through crashing waves and soft sand runners to find calmer patches where they swim, float or sit – part of an ancient ritual as distinctive as its cliffs and beaches.
But these saltwater rock pools may be threatened. A growing chorus of Sydney councillors are complaining about their high operating costs; without additional funding they could close down altogether.
Bondi Icebergs, Australia’s best-known ocean pool, draws swimmers and photographers year-round; however, more than 100 other ocean pools exist across Australia – each boasting their own distinct character. Some are public, like Bondi Icebergs; however some are privately owned by clubs which charge admission. Tidal pools feature swimming lanes carved into rocks and changing rooms built into rocks; Coogee Tidal Pool was created by champion long distance swimmer Henry Alexander Wylie who created an enclosure in 1907. Finally there are baths like McIver’s Ladies Baths dating back to 1880!
Ocean pools are an invaluable resource, but some have been left damaged beyond repair and could close. Furthermore, their maintenance costs can be prohibitively expensive to run; so an increasing number of Sydney councillors are lobbying for cheaper entry. As proof, Snowy Valleys Council in far south NSW conducted a trial where free entry increased visitation by 23% while increasing income 241% due to cafe sales, swimming classes and membership sales at their pool.
Other councils are already taking similar approaches. Melbourne and Brisbane have made entry to council pools free (all year in Melbourne; at off-peak times in Brisbane), while Lane Cove’s Greens councillor Rochelle Flood and independent councillor Kathy Bryla are pushing for discounted pricing models that reduce swimming prices to below $5 for visits; they want details on how this might be achieved.
But the idea of paying less to visit a pool can be controversial. Some may view it as necessary in exchange for health and wellbeing benefits that water exercise provides, while others argue it’s simply waste of money. Even with reduced costs, no guarantee exists that pools will survive; some have closed already in order to make way for new stadiums while Greenacre in Canterbury Bankstown was recommended for closure permanently by Berejiklian’s government, although replacement would take two years at least before happening; other pools need urgent repairs too.