Newcastle City Council will today begin the demolition of the 60-year-old grandstand at Lambton Swimming Centre, following the structure’s closure due to concrete cancer.
Infrastructure Advisory Committee Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said the demolition and replacement of the old grandstand reflected the Council’s commitment to investing in quality upgrades to its inland pool facilities, as outlined in its draft ‘Inland Pools Strategy 2043’.
“City of Newcastle is committed to maintaining and investing in the Lambton Swimming Centre to ensure it continues to meet the expectations and evolving needs of the 185,000 community members, sporting clubs and visitors that enjoy the pool each year,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.
The design for the new grandstand retains the existing roof structure and includes storage space for operational requirements including equipment for school and sporting groups, while also including upgraded accessibility considerations.
Cr Winney-Baartz said with Lambton Swimming Centre being the most popular swimming centre in the Hunter, it’s important that the site’s offerings expand to serve the community.
“With a growing population, replacing the current grandstand with a structure that can accommodate up to 800 people while also catering for the needs of sporting clubs and improved accessibility will contribute to Lambton Swimming Centre’s safe operation into the future while meeting the needs of its many diverse users,” she said.
Council has invited tenders for the construction of the new concrete grandstand and hopes to appoint a tenderer for the work by the end of the month.
Council’s draft Inland Pools Strategy 2043 outlines a plan for the management and renewal of the city’s five public swimming pools over the next 20 years.
The community is being invited to provide feedback on the strategy before 5pm on 12 May 2023.