Local government
by-elections 2024
The Tasmanian Electoral Commission has been requested by the Glenorchy City Council to conduct an elector poll regarding the Glenorchy War Memorial Pool. This elector poll, conducted by postal ballot, will be conducted concurrently with the by-elections of mayor and councillor for the Council.
Following a public meeting held on Wednesday 27 March 2024 to discuss the urgent repair of the Glenorchy War Memorial Pool and other pool-related concerns, a petition signed by over 1,000 electors was submitted to the Council on Tuesday 23 April 2024 requesting this elector poll in accordance with section 60C of the Local Government Act 1993.
The elector poll includes the following two questions, which are provided on the separate ballot paper:
The Glenorchy War Memorial Pool (GWMP) was opened in 1963. In July 2023, the pool was closed by the General Manager of the Council after independent engineering and asset management experts undertook an assessment and found a number of safety problems with the facility.
There was community concern regarding the indefinite closure of the pool. To provide for the longer term, participants at the public meeting raised the need for Council to retain and reopen the pool and then develop more modern pool facilities.
A consultant report provided to the Council found, "The closure of the GWMP has resulted in a decline in swimming activity in the region with many swimmers deciding to stop swimming entirely and school carnivals not being able to go ahead or enduring significant challenges due to a lack of capacity in the region."
Recently the State Government committed $5 million to the Council to enable the repair of the immediate problems and allow the pool to reopen. It is expected that these repairs will only enable the pool to remain open for another 5-10 years.
In August 2023 the Council engaged consultants to undertake a redevelopment consultation project. The project aim is to consider various longer-term uses for the site, proposing a number of pool and non-pool options. After the first round of consultation, the community has strongly supported three different pool options. The consultation project is expected to be completed in August 2024.
It is expected that the cost of a larger redevelopment of the site will be significantly higher than the $5 million cost associated with repairing and reopening the pool.
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