Helensburgh Pool is more than a place to swim. It’s a summer hub in the historic bushland town, which has not had a community centre since the old one on Walker Street closed due to mould in December 2021. 

“The pool is the 'go to' for the whole community on a daily basis when the sun is shining. The pool being shut will impact us all,” Helensburgh dad Scott Spiers told the Illawarra Flame.

“Given it is free entry and accessible by all abilities means that so many of us gather there to socialise, exercise, read a book or simply spend time with grandchildren or family after school.

“This is our pool. This is the place that we all love and cherish. And it's built for the community by the community. It's part of a war memorial setting.”

Pool shut until 2026

Helensburgh Pool will not reopen as usual this spring as refurbishment works have begun but a Council spokesperson said they’re on track to reopen “before the January summer peak”.

"While we acknowledge that the pool closure for approximately four months is frustrating for residents, we’re encouraging residents to consider enjoying Stanwell Park Beach – a 10-minute drive – or Coalcliff Rock Pool – 12-minute drive – instead,” the spokesperson said.

“We’re fortunate to have 17 patrolled beaches and a total of 18 pools in our Local Government Area providing a range of options for swimmers.”

Scott says this response assumes a level of mobility not everyone has, including teenagers who don't drive and older Australians – like Scott's mum – who can't access rough terrain, beaches or steep coast lines.

“The reality is not everyone has access to a car. People might have mobility issues  The beaches are not [always] patrolled … and I'm not going to let my nine and 10-year-old daughters swim out there with the recent shark alerts happening.”

Helensburgh has no public place for socialising adjacent to amenities, he said. “The Western Plaza took five years to plan and construct and there is no reason to spend time there now it has a tobacco/vape shop on its doorstep and no shade trees or amenities.”

Council has partly attributed pool delays to finding the right spot for Helensburgh’s new library and community centre, now locked in for 53-55 Walker Street.

“It feels like they're trying to make excuses for their poor planning, and almost blaming the community for the delay … which is ridiculous, the pool upgrade would have had to occur regardless of the community centre location ” Scott said.

Speaking from experience

Two years and nine months after the state funding was announced, works have begun, but are not off to a good start as a “cherished” Crimson Bottlebrush tree outside the pool was cut down with no warning. “My kids used to climb it,” Scott said. “We would stand under it in the shade while we're arriving to the pool and speaking to friends.

“We’re really annoyed … Yes, trees can be replaced but they take 10 years to grow into specimens which provide shade and amenity.”

A landscape architect and project manager who studied at the University of Canberra, Scott has 25 years of professional experience in many roles, including managing public recreation facilities and pool upgrades for local councils.

“I have worked for architects, town planners, urban designers, civil engineers in Malaysia, London, and local government in NSW for 18 years. My passion is 'creating places for people to thrive in', and this is all I am trying to do now and assist Council to get better outcomes.”

Scott has requested updates and contacted councillors but said he’s been given the “usual runaround”, accused of “ranting” and asked why Helensburgh doesn’t like change.“I feel essentially like I'm being ridiculed,” Scott said. “That it's our fault, we’re part of the problem.”

He tried calling for innovative construction methodology to keep the pool open, including working on one section at a time. “The main pool functions perfectly as it is and the proposed upgrades really only seem to be minor and not representative of a $3.2 million grant. I question where the money has been spent.”

Scott said he’s lost trust in Council due to a lack of communication. “I found out today that the building is going to be rendered grey completely – and how is that going to look? Have we had any say on that? I still haven't had any response.

“This proposal has not considered the local cafes, ice-cream bar, pub, Tradies and takeaway shops which thrive on a hot day when people come to enjoy the pool and dine out in Helensburgh afterwards. An ice-cream is a must after a swim, just ask my children and their grandmother.

Community backlash over pool closure

Having raised half the money to build it in the '60s, the community feels a sense of ownership of the pool.

Wollongong’s northernmost town was founded around coal and the railway line in the 19th century, when pioneering residents forged tight bonds in hard times. Children no longer tie up their ponies outside the supermarket but still get about on bikes and, with an influx of newcomers attracted by the family-friendly lifestyle, Helensburgh is often described as 'close-knit'. It's relatively isolated atop the escarpment and ringed by bushland – many remember being cut off in the 2001 Black Christmas Bushfires and any unidentified plume of smoke is soon reported on the local Facebook page. A world and 30km away from the city, some residents feel Helensburgh is the town that council forgot.

Against this backdrop, the pool’s closure has drawn unsurprisingly fierce criticism, with a Letter to the Editor from long-time local Bronwyn Balderston summing up people's feelings: “As a regular swimmer of 45 years in Helensburgh, I am also horrified at the disregard Wollongong Council has for our local community,” she wrote. “The fact that our pool will be closed for summer months, necessitating continued trips and cost of paying for doing laps at Engadine or Sutherland pool, both of which will be far busier this season with the extra clientele from the 2508 region.

“Will council be able to open the pool in January as planned, or will the refurbishment actually encounter problems that will necessitate it being closed for the whole season? And here we think of the North Sydney Pool ‘refurbishment’!”

Like many, Bronwyn asked why the pool works weren’t done in winter, when the pool is closed, and flagged a knock-on effect for the town, which serves as the shopping centre for almost 10,000 people. “Our community in Helensburgh supports only one ‘self cleaning’ toilet, which will continue to be used in high rotation through the warmer months, especially considering the pool’s facilities will remain shut!”

The single public toilet at Charles Harper Park is a steel box with timed usage, which Neighbourhood Forum 1’s volunteer convenor, Warwick Erwin, said is not suitable for anyone with a disability.

Council responds to criticism

Representing NF1, Warwick Erwin said forum members feel council hasn’t listened to the community and public anger links to the loss of Helensburgh’s community centre due to mould four years ago. “People wanted to have a town hall meeting,” he said, “but we’ve got nowhere to have a town meeting in.” Local GP Dr Trevor Kemper described the summer closure as “cruel”, suggesting “better planning and more fine tuned management” of local infrastructure. Lap swimmer Catherine Ryan said ocean pools were impractical for training during peak season due to crowds and parking problems. Melissa McCallum, the P&F president of Holy Cross Primary School, said parents were worried about swim safety and children’s fitness.

Alternatives can be found – Crawchys Swim School owner Sharon Poulton said she’ll simply schedule more classes in their indoor pool at Helensburgh Business Park.

But NF1 said the situation could have been avoided and council wasted time trying to locate the community centre at the pool – the residents’ group believes this was an attempt to cut costs by combining projects.

In response, a Council spokesperson said: “Council strongly refutes any suggestion that the extensive community consultation on this project did not influence the final project.

“Council responded to community feedback around a potential combined Community Centre, Library and Pool and is delivering two separate facilities. Council also took on board community feedback around a preference for retaining the original toddlers’ pool and this remains within the project scope.

“We also refute the suggestion that the project has been delayed through a desire to use NSW State Government Grant funds to reduce the costs of a new Community Centre and Library. Grant funding, such as what has been allocated to this project, have specific conditions attached which include how, where and when it can be used. Looking to use the funding for other projects – or in fact deferring the project to until mid-2026 – would jeopardise the funding and delay the delivery of these essential upgrades.”

Wollongong City Council has received two grants to fund works at Helensburgh Pool. In November 2022, council received $3,241,666 from the NSW Office of Sport – Multisport Community Facility Fund, which has also funded a sportsfield lighting upgrade to Rex Jackson Oval. “The remainder of the grant will be used to fund the pool works. The grant funds must be used by 30 December 2025,” a council spokesperson confirmed. Council has also received $84,280 in Commonwealth Government funding from the Department of Communities and Justice as part of its Accessible Australia (Changing Places) program to build changing facilities for people with a disability.

Over the next three months, higher than average rainfall is predicted and warmer than average days and nights.

For more details and updates: wollongong.nsw.gov.au/Helensburgh-pool