The long-running – and increasingly costly – saga of repairing Austinmer rock pools has hit another snag, as planned overnight works were postponed due to problems with lighting.
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The latest work – to install three precast concrete panels to complete the eastern wall – was planned to take place during “super low tides” in the week from August 17 but was stopped by the council on Wednesday.
Construction lights called ‘daymakers’ were to be used for the night work, but an assessment revealed that the lights would create blind spots and cast shadows on the work site.
The council’s infrastructure and works director Mike Hyde said the risk to contractors was deemed to be unacceptable.
“The initial risk assessment for the planned night works was always high but manageable, however, a more thorough assessment of lighting placement found the conditions required to ensure optimal safety could not be achieved,” he said.
“The contractor has now indicated they hope to complete this work during the next low tide window during daylight hours in mid-October, subject to tide, sea and swell conditions.”
The rock pools remain open, and Mr Hyde said the council hoped the work would be finished before the start of summer “all going well”.
The project has been plagued by problems since it began in early 2014.
Six months in, Specialised Marine Services – which said it could complete the job for $499,000 – went into voluntary liquidation and left the works in disarray.
The council temporarily secured the site so the pool could be used over summer, then appointed local firm Affective Services to resume work.
However, with tides and rain dictating the work schedule, work on the project has been “intermittent” and “complex”.
Work on the northern pool – with the exception of a handrail – was finished by the end of 2015, but works to the southern pool remain incomplete.
By April this year, the project had run almost $1 million over budget, and the council said it hoped to finish repairs by June.
The latest delays will not affect the final cost, a council spokeswoman said, which is estimated to be about $1.7 million.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
