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| Yamba Rock Pool, May 2019 |
Clarence Valley Council, media release, 16 May 2019:
Yamba
ocean rock pool repairs get the thumbs up
BARRY Cribb well
remembers teaming up with half a dozen of his mates, arming themselves with brooms
and shovels and cleaning out the Yamba ocean rock pool by hand.
That started about 40
years ago and only finished when the then Maclean Shire Council offered to take
over the maintenance.
It was a big relief for
Barry and his team, but the Yamba resident retains a strong interest in the pool
and still swims there regularly – daily when conditions suit.
And he’s pretty chuffed
about the latest work Clarence Valley Council has done there.
For the past few years
the pool has leaked and in the past 12 months had to be closed on several occasions
because the water had fallen to a level that meant it was unsafe for swimming.
Council completed
repairs to the pool more than a month ago and there appear to be no signs of
leaks.
“It looks and feels nice
and clean now,” he said.
“I’ve been swimming in
there every day since it re-opened and everyone reckons it is great. It’s not losing
any water now.”
Despite some
interruptions to the work from Cyclone Oma, the work was completed on time and substantially
under budget.
The savings have allowed
the council to undertake further improvements at the pool site, including the replacement
of ageing timber railings with stainless steel and the widening of concrete
paths.
Project manager,
council’s Justin Menzies, said working in a marine environment in sometimes unpredictable
conditions provided plenty of challenges, but thorough planning and having
contingencies meant they could be resolved with little impact on the project.
“We put a lot of effort
into project management to make sure we deliver projects on time and within budget
and we couldn’t be happier with the result,” he said.
“We’ve got pool users
giving us the thumbs up each time we go there and that is really rewarding.
That’s what you do it for.”
Mr Menzies said
observations since the work was complete suggested the pool would stay clean
for much longer following the works.
He said that before the
repairs started, holes in the pool allowed sand to penetrate the base and the
pool would be dirty with sand and decaying seaweed within a few days after
cleaning.
“That’s not happening
now and the only sand getting into the pool is coming over the top,” he said.
“That means it’s clean
much longer and is much more attractive for users.
“It is a great result
for pool users and Yamba.”
