The $26 million upgrade of Epping Pool is in hot water, with new information revealing a cost blowout of the much-anticipated project.
Whether its swimming carnivals or a successful community campaign to keep it off the Hornsby Shire Council chopping block pre-amalgamation, the Epping Aquatic Centre has always been considered a well-loved swimming hole among locals – even when it fell on tough times.
In 2024, swimming regulars were excited to take advantage of their last summer ahead of the pool’s closure to finally make way for an upgraded facility.
The long-awaited upgrades were slated to deliver more pool facilities, improved accessibility and a new family play area, while still retaining the unique character of the centre locals have come to love.
Like many residents, Parramatta Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor Cameron Maclean learnt to swim at the Dence Park centre. He said he knows firsthand how important a local pool is to the community.
“Macquarie pool is, as the crow flies, close by, but it’s not by the time you get in the car or by the time you contend with the traffic on Epping Road,” the Councillor said.
“Epping Pool is the local pool for people who live immediately in this area, so I think people are missing it.”
Construction of the project was expected to take about 18 months to two years to complete, following the end of the 2024 swim season.
But commencement of the tender process has revealed a significant increase in construction costs that far exceed City of Parramatta’s project budget.
It’s led to the Council not accepting any of the tenders, bringing development of the project to a halt.
“At the 25 November 2024 Council Meeting, Council opted not to accept any tenders for the Epping Aquatic Centre following a significant increase in construction costs that has put the tenders beyond the approved project budget,” a City of Parramatta spokesperson told Parra News.
“Council is exploring options for the staged delivery of the endorsed concept design within allocated funding, to best deliver on the needs of the community.”
Discussed as a confidential matter during the meeting, it’s not known how much the construction costs exceed the initial budget.
As a “worst-case scenario,” Maclean added Council Officers are also investigating the costs of reopening the pool to the public sans any upgrades – saying, ultimately, “Epping needs a pool.”
“My commitment to an upgrade remains, but if it’s the case that there’s going to be some kind of lapse timeline associated with that then I think we should be investigating whether we can open the pool in some capacity sooner than that,” he said.
A report into the possibility of reopening the pool, as well as options for the staged delivery of the approved design, is expected to come back to Council in April.
Maclean understands residents’ concerns about the project stalling, but said he doesn’t envision a circumstance where the community doesn’t have a pool.
“This is a project that has been going on really since 2016, and when Parramatta Council took over this area a lot of people saw that as finally ensuring the security of the pool, because it had gone through, by that stage, years of uncertainty,” he added.
“We gave the community a lifeline, so I fundamentally believe we owe it to the community to deliver them a pool in Epping.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.