Pool Redevelopment Deferred

POOL REDEVELOPMENTS DEFERRED

The planned redevelopment of the Sawtell and Woolgoolga Pool complexes is to be revisited in the 2023-2024 financial year as a tight grant deadline of 31 December 2023 is an unachievable timeframe for the City to deliver the projects, so the funds will need to be returned.

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 – 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 - 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

A total of $7,784,778 had been allocated to City of Coffs Harbour through Round 5 of the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund towards the cost of building the two new complexes. Council’s budget for the works in the current plans was just over $15.5m.

“These two pool redevelopments were included in last month’s deferral of $55m of capital works projects to 2023-2024, as a result of financial and resourcing constraints,” said Natalia Cowley, City of Coffs Harbour’s General Manager.

“The reasons for the deferrals are very necessary. They will provide financial sustainability, establish a truly achievable level of deliverability and realign community and City expectations on the provision of new infrastructure.

“But sadly we’ve been informed by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources that there is no provision for any BBRF Round 5 grants to be extended beyond 31 December 2023.

“Unfortunately, as there are no resources currently allocated to progress these projects in the 2022-2023 financial year, we wouldn’t be able to begin the redevelopments until 1 July 2023.

“As the grants have a hard closing date of 31 December 2023, this would leave us only six months in which to complete them and that’s not achievable.”