Future pools and aquatic facilities in the Byron Shire

The Byron Bay Memorial Swimming Pool was built in 1966 and the Mullumbimby pool (Petria Thomas Swimming Pool) was built in the 1950s.

The pools are coming to the end of their operational lives.

In 2023, consultants were commissioned to produce The Byron Shire Aquatic Options Report.

This came after an earlier feasibility study for the upgrade of the Mullumbimby pool.  

Council decided that, given the age of the Byron Bay pool, the focus needed to shift to consider future pool facilities across the entire Shire.

As part of this project consultants spoke to a wide range of pool users about current facilities and what they would like to see in the future.  

They talked to: 

• Pool managers
• Swimming clubs and water polo clubs
• Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay SLSC
• Coaches and learn-to-swim instructors
• Community groups
• Primary and high schools

Feedback

People told us they want:

• Pools that are open all year, including the winter months.
• A heated, indoor 25m pool suitable for hydrotherapy low impact exercise and strengthening
• Heated pools suitable for swimming lessons (learn-to-swim).
• Pools to be suitable for water polo, squad training, lap swimming

Consultants also looked at a wide range of other issues to inform their report including:

• Demographics of the shire
• Current aquatic facilities in the Byron Shire and in neighbouring shires.
• Potential locations for new aquatic facilities.
• Redevelopment of existing pools in current locations versus new facilities in another location/s.
• Cost. 

Five, council-owned sites were investigated as part of the Byron Shire Aquatic Options Report. They were:

• Current site of Byron Bay Memorial Swimming Pool
• Cavanbah Centre, Byron Bay
• Current site of Mullumbimby Petria Thomas Swimming Pool
• Lot 22, Mullumbimby
• Old hospital site, Mullumbimby

Bangalow was not considered because of its location in relation to the rest of the Byron Shire and a lack of suitable, public land.

After looking at advantages and disadvantages of each site the preferred locations for future aquatic facilities are:

• The current site of the Byron Bay Memorial Swimming Pool and 
• Lot 22 at Mullumbimby.

The Byron Bay Memorial Swimming Pool is the preferred location for a future swimming complex in Byron Bay.

While a small and constrained site it is highly valued by the community as a continued location for a swimming pool.

Feedback from stakeholders was clear in that they did not support the closure of the current pool in favour of a new facility at the Cavanbah Centre.  

Their expectation was that, even if a new aquatic centre was built at the Cavanbah Centre, Council would also upgrade the current pool. This is not feasible for a range of reasons including:

• Too expensive.
• Keeping the Byron Bay pool open would mean a new facility at the Cavanbah Centre would have to serve the rest of the Shire and there is little appetite for two aquatic facilities to be located at Byron Bay.
• When the Petria Thomas Pool reaches the end of its life there would be no pool in Mullumbimby.

A redevelopment of the Byron Bay Memorial Pool is therefore recommended with the facility to include:

• New, accessible, eight-lane, solar heated 50m pool for year-round use.
• Suitable for water polo.
• A split wall to divide the pool into two x 25m pools.
• Smaller heated pool for swimming programs (e.g. learn-to-swim).
• Splash pad for children.
• Family-friendly and accessible change rooms.
• Café.
• Multi-purpose rooms.
• Seating.
• Outdoor areas.

Three sites were looked at in Mullumbimby:

• Current site of Mullumbimby Petria Thomas Swimming Pool
• Lot 22, Mullumbimby
• Old hospital site, Mullumbimby

Lot 22 Stuart Street was identified as the preferred location for a new aquatic centre, despite being on a flood plain.

Consultants believe that the site will need to be filled, and the flood risk adequately addressed.

A new aquatic facility on Lot 22, Stuart Street, would include:

• Accessible, 8-lane, solar heated 50m pool for year-round use.
• Suitable for water polo
• A split wall to divide the pool into two x 25m pools.
• Heated, indoor 20m pool
• Smaller 10m heated pool for swimming programs (e.g. learn-to-swim)
• Splash pad for children
• Family-friend and accessible change rooms
• Café
• Multi-purpose rooms
• Seating
• Grassed, outdoor areas with BBQs
• Parking and drop-off areas for buses.

The current site of the Petria Thomas Swimming Pool was not supported because:

• Extremely flood prone because of two nearby creeks and limited options to reduce flood risk.
• Site not large enough to cater for construction of an indoor 20m pool and 50m pool
• Other site constraints including car parking availability, entrance space and drop off zones.

The old hospital site whilst not flood-prone, was not supported because of site constraints including:

• Historic asbestos contamination which has been remediated but may restrict development.
• Council’s commitment to use a large portion of the site for housing.
• Steep slope
• High conservation value vegetation.

Consultants estimate the cost of redeveloping the Byron Bay pool and building a new aquatic centre at Mullumbimby will be more than $76 million.

• Byron Bay estimated cost - $28,300,000
• Mullumbimby estimated cost - $50,220,000

Council does not have the funds to pay for these projects.  The delivery of new and improved aquatic facilities will be done over five to 15 years, when grant funding and other funding sources are available.

Once Council approves a plan for future aquatic facilities, staff can start detailed planning and looking for funding opportunities.