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Clarence Valley Council has advised that ongoing wet weather over recent months has caused delays in the completion of the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre.

The Council has advised that Hines Construction and their sub-contractors, many of whom are local, worked through to Christmas Eve in an effort to complete as much of the outdoor facilities as possible by the end of January 2025.  Meanwhile, the indoor pools, splashpad, and remaining project components are expected to be finished by the end of February 2025.

Acknowledging the disappointment of the delayed outdoor facility opening but highlighted the significant progress made, Clarence Valley Council General Manager, Laura Black stated “unfortunately, we can’t control the weather. Grafton has received 327.4mm of rain since October and this has impacted the project timeline. We know the community will be disappointed having had no pool for the last couple of summers, as are council’s project managers who have been working hard behind the scenes to deliver the much-needed facility on budget.

"We are fortunate to have a good relationship with the contractor who continues to make strides, including completing the final sections of structural steel, installing the hydronic in-floor heating system around the indoor pool, and putting up shade structures for the 50m pool, splashpad, and grassed areas."

Concrete work, including the installation of pathways and core filling the blocks at the rear of the 50m pool building, as well as tiling in the front-of-house amenities and pool areas, are ongoing in the lead up to the Christmas break.

Just before Christmas a planned power outage allowed Essential Energy to install a new substation and main switchboard for the facility.

Black added “despite the wet weather delay, enthusiasm for organising the celebratory opening has not been dampened. Staff met with councillors this week to discuss ideas.”

The Council has advised that formal opening will occur in the first few months of 2025, after the complex is operationally opened for public access, to allow for representatives of the funding bodies to be present.

Click here to learn more about the project.

Image: Aerial view of the work being undertaken at the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre in the NSW town of Grafton. Credit: Clarence Valley Council.

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