Austinmer's famous ocean pool has reopened – but visitors may encounter some heavy duty hazard warning signs on their way to the water.
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Wollongong City Council has scrambled to make the pool available for the busiest period of the year, as locals and hundreds of visitors from Sydney descend on the popular spot for a day in the water.
‘‘Council is completing works today to make the pools as safe as possible for swimming over the summer period,’’ he said on Monday.
‘‘Council erected new signs to ensure the public was aware of the dangers involved in swimming in the pools with works only partially complete.’’
The signs do not hold back, warning swimmers that there are hazards that ‘‘could result in injury or death’’.
That may be the case, but the pool is in significantly better shape than when the council’s former contractor left the job late last month.
Brian Cummins from the Austinmer Early Morning Swimming Club said he and other early morning swimmers were happy with council's quick action in having the pool reopened.
``We are really pleased council realised how important for the community the pool is,'' Mr Cummins said.
``It has swimmers from as early as 5am and I'd say up to 30 swimmers would use it prior to 10am.
``Everyone is really pleased to see the pool reopened, especially in time for the holiday break.''
The council was forced to take action after its contractor, Specialised Marine Services, went into voluntary liquidation after receiving more than $500,000 of ratepayers’ money, with the renovation job on the pools far from complete.
Since late last month, when SMS left the job with its equipment, the council first used its own workers to make the site safer, then employed local company Affective Services to get the pool to a standard where it could be used over summer.
Work will resume on the renovation project next year, after council members voted to allow general manager David Farmer to find a company to complete the work without going through the usual tender process.
The remaining work is expected to cost at least another $200,000.
The original tender was for just under half a million dollars.