Kogarah War Memorial Pool Community Information Session

29 July 2019

Welcome

Steve Rossiter – Director Social Sustainability, Elton Consultancy

Agenda

1. Opening remarks from Clr Kevin Greene, Mayor Georges River Council

2. Presentation from Gail Connolly, General Manager and Laurie O’Connor,

Director Assets and Infrastructure

3. Questions and answers

Clr Kevin Greene Mayor, Georges River Council

Gail Connolly General Manager, Georges River Council

History of the Site

The bay was reclaimed using landfill (rubbish) during the depression era to

extend the foreshore.

History of the Pool

• Contract to construct the pool awarded to Ferrum Engineering Co Pty Ltd

• 1965 – Pool opened to public

• 1971 - Dick Caine leased the pool from Kogarah Council with responsibility

for maintenance and operations. Annual support from Council for utilities and

other expenses (approx $140,000pa)

• 2017 – Dick Caine lease ends (June) and Georges River Council accepts full

management and responsibility for day to day operation and maintenance of

the facility.

Actions of Council

• 1989 – Kogarah Council commences annual monitoring of ground subsidence levels

• 2011 – Kogarah Council commences monitoring of water usage of the facility

• 2011 - Kogarah Council commissioned a Pool Structure Condition Assessment of

the pools, tanks and associated plant.

• June 2016 – Georges River Council commissioned a Buildings Asset Assessment

Report of all pool facilities.

• June 2017 - $600,000 in 2017/18 budget for continued operation of the pool

Actions of Council

• October 2017- Commencement of the Open Space, Recreation and Community

Facilities Strategy

• November 2017 – Resolve to Prepare a Precinct Masterplan and Plan of

Management for the Carss Park Sport and Recreation Precinct

• April 2018 - Commence a Site Suitability and Feasibility Study for Carss Park

Recreation and Sporting Precinct

• May 2018 - Commence an Aquatic Facility Strategy

Actions of Council

• June 2018

• $650,000 in the 2018/19 budget for continued operation of the pool

• defer decision on future of pool until all studies and reports are finalised

• November 2018 - Open Space, Recreation and Community Facilities Strategy on

public exhibition

• March 2019

• $650,000 in 2019/20 budget for continued operation of the pool

• $250,000 in the 2019/20 budget for the review and preparation of the required

Plans of Management

• Commissioning of an Aquatic Structural Engineering Report

Video (July 2017)

Pollution incidents July 2019

Backwash overflow

discharge pipe

Stormwater pipe – pool

water discharge

Holding tank – failed

pump

Water from pool

seepage – from

cracks

• 2 July, 2019 – Council self-reported a pollution incident to the EPA

• 22 July, 2019 – Council self-reported further pollution to the EPA

• 22 July, 2019 – decision to close the pool and drain the water from both pools to

prevent polluted water entering Georges River

• 25 July, 2019 – advised NSW EPA that water from the pools had been drained

• 25 July, 2019 – commissioned a Geotechnical Study and Contamination Report to

understand the subsoil conditions

Actions of Council - July 2019

EPA Directives • Letter 9 July 2019

“The EPA requires that Council undertake immediate action to prevent the occurrence of any further backwash

discharge events. Failure to do so will place Council in breach of section 120 of the Act.

Further, the EPA requires Council to prepare a management plan outlining proposed backwash management

procedures for the Carss Park Pool. The plan should include the ongoing storage, handling and disposal

techniques proposed for the backwash to ensure that waters are not polluted, and a timetable for implementation.

The management plan is to be submitted to the EPA no later than 5pm on 31 July 2019.”

• Email 22 July 2019

“The discharge of any waters from Carss Parks Pool into the Georges River constitutes pollution of waters as

defined in the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (“the Act”).”

“The EPA requires that Council undertake immediate action to prevent pool water leaking from the Carss Park Pool

into the Georges River. Failure to do so will place Council in breach of section 120 of the Act.”

Recent photos

Image: Large crack from coping

(edging) to the bottom at the shallow

end of the pool.

Image: Significant cracking to coping

(edging) tile at the shallow end of the

pool

Image: Large crack from coping

(edging) to bottom at the centre of the

Olympic pool’s shallow end.

Recent photos

Image: Floor slab settlement in the ladies’ change room at the

facility

Image: Ground subsidence at the ladies’ change room at the

facility

Legal Responsibilities

Local Government Act, 1993

Section S8A (1) Guiding principles for councils

(f) Councils should manage lands and other assets so that current and future local

community needs can be met in an affordable way.

Section S8B (2) Principles of sound financial management

(d) (ii) the current generation funds the cost of its services.

Protection of the Environment Operations Act, 1997

Section 120 Prohibition of pollution of waters

(1) A person who pollutes any waters is guilty of an offence

Section 148 Pollution incidents causing or threatening material harm to be notified

(2 -6) An employee, employer, occupier or agent must immediately notify the EPA of any pollution incident

Section 123 Maximum penalty for water pollution offenses

Corporation Penalties:

• Penalty not exceeding $1,000,000

• Continuing offence – $120,000 (max) for each day the offence continues

The above sections attract special executive liability, each person who is concerned in the management of the corporation is taken to have contravened the same provision

Legal Responsibilities

• Finalise key strategic reports necessary to enable Council to make an informed decision about the

future of the facility and site:

• August 2019 - Recreation, Open Space and Community Facilities Strategy

• August 2019 - Structural Adequacy Report

• Late 2019 - Aquatic Facilities Strategy

• Late 2019 - Geotechnical and Contamination Study of the site

• Early 2020 - Carss Park Sport and Recreation Precinct Master Plan and Plan of

Management

• Findings to be communicated to the community, with regular updates on Council’s website

Next steps

Questions