Proposed Woden skyrise plan would rid of controversial pool, ice-skating rink

ABC NEWS (Australia)

One of Woden town centre’s most controversial redevelopments has reached another milestone, with developed Geocon releasing plans of what the region’s future aquatic facility might look like. But with staunch opposition from some community members to the loss of the old Philip pool, there could yet be a bit of splashing about before it’s time to dive in.

Transcript

00:00With a development application lodged and artist impressions released to the public for the first time,

00:07Woden's next pool is taking shape at the bottom of what will ultimately become a five-tower, 700-unit Geocon residential development.

00:17I'm not overly happy about it. I know my daughter's a teacher and their school uses that pool.

00:23It doesn't really mean much to me. It might as well not exist anyway.

00:26Geocon, which owns the site of the current Phillip Pool and Ice Skating Centre, is required by the Territory Plan to keep a pool.

00:34They say there will be a 25-metre pool, splash pad, learn-to-swim area and café on the ground floor.

00:41They've also promised 50 car parking spaces and to keep the existing facilities operational while the first stage is being delivered.

00:49It's not enough. Why take away a facility and reduce it?

00:52A 25-metre indoor pool is not a replacement for a 50-metre pool. We are also concerned about losing the green area.

01:01The company purchased the site in late 2022 amid rising concerns from some in the community that the ageing outdoor pool stays were numbered

01:09and it would likely be turned over to high-rise development.

01:12The pool's previous owner had told the ACT Government as early as 2017 that the pool was becoming less popular and increasingly expensive to run.

01:21Some had hoped the Government would step in to buy and operate it.

01:25This battle hasn't been lost.

01:27What won't be retained in the final development is the ice skating rink.

01:31And while a new one was slated to be built in Tuggeranong instead, no opening date has been set.

01:37We would like to get final development applications in early next year.

01:44That facility had been initially proposed in 2016 and then again promised in the lead-up to the 2020 election and was meant to open next year.

01:54We're comfortable with that relationship with Geocon and comfortable with the timelines that they have.

02:00There also isn't yet a timeline for when the pool will open and the ACT Government won't comment on the project while the DA is under review.

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