slab poured

Concrete slab photographed drying in yesterday's warm morning sun, Sunday 14-Nov-10...

...sadly the weather has broken today - to rain - but initial drying has occurred, so can only be good news.  Note pallets of bricks & pile of sand - clear evidence that pour was a success.

balance tank progress

Our new Centre Suprevisor Jake Burton is doing a great job pulling out all stops to achieve a Blackheath Pool opening as close to 27 November as possible. 

Though we still need a run of dry weather to dry concrete balance tank cover, December 18 is worst case scenario.

Outline as follows:

• tomorrow the concrete slab over the balance tank lid is due to be poured; 
• drying of the concrete is of course weather dependent and best estimate is that it will take a week to dry (to 17 Nov));
• BMCC tradesmen are clear that Pool is high priority;
• sealing, plumbing and tiling works will follow; brick work paving will be completed & lawns rejuvented at same time;
• once paving in place, three new white shade umbrellas & picnic tables will be positioned in consulation with FoBP∓
• final filling  of three pools & two tanks (balance tank & plant tank) will follow;
• two p/t Aquatic Supervisor positions have been appointed – they are Reece Boothroyd & Rebecca Pike – training & familiariseation with Jake next week;
• posters are in distribution – locations include: schools, community noticeboard, station, pubs, libraries, more to follow - you’ll see them around town & further afield;
• inserts have been placed in school newsletters;
• entry wall display-case due to be installed tomorrow;
• change room floors to be re-done under 10-year warranty by original installers;
• new first-aid facility to be insatlled in Ambulance Station;
• in addtuion to season passes, passes to be sold for period 26 dec to 30 Jan $49/adult, $35/child & concession; 10-visit passes also avaliable;
• Twilghlight Family Passes - every Saturday night 5-7PM throughout season $10;
• Aquarobics classes available in four-week blocks – once/week x 45mins, enough have expressed interest for these to be run;
• Learn to swim intensives will be offered dependent on need;
• weed clearance at Pool is being done with environemntally sensetive weedkiller, non-toxic to wildlife;

Thanks to Jake for his commitment & hard work.

LID is on!

Yesterday a crane put in place concrete elements of the balance tank lid.
A very good sign.
There remain some works outstanding, they include:
- A concrete slab laid on top of the lid, weather dependent
- Tiling of the pool at both ends
- Connection of the pipe work and some minor plumbing works
- Restoration of the paving
- Restoration of the grounds

Two views of the lid taken this afternoon:

delay to opening

Final repair work on the balance tank may mean a postponement of proposed opening date.
We are working with BMCC staff & Councillors towards a resolution that sees the Pool open as close to planned 27th November date as possible.


Wet weather may indeed force the delay to 18th December, but this is worst case scenario.

5 weeks to go

balance tank fix continues...

Reconstruction work in progress...

• ...view thruogh south gate of temporary access pathway across lawn to construction site

• removed turf stacked near western fenceline...

• ...construction site: picnic tables & bricked surface removed in preparation for works

• bricks stacked on palettes adjacent to lap-pool near weatern fenceline...

balance tank FIX begins...

Well sadly the summer season is over for another year.

BUT the work on the new balance tank has begun - with the brick surface above the balance tank being removed in preparation for reconstruction work.

Great news : funding to fix Blackheath Pool balance tank is secure

Great news from Deputy Mayor Janet Mays - it seems funding to fix Blackheath Pool balance tank is secure.

NINE of the twelve Councillors are in favour of reallocating required funds.

Many thanx to Crs Gibbs & Mays who have worked strenuously behind the scences to achieve this outcome. We wish Cr. Hamilton a speedy recovery from surgery.

email from Cr. Mays 11-March-2010:
"Good news re the $ for the pool. We just need to formalise the reallocations and ensure the majority of Councillors are on board. So far Searle, Mays, Hamilton, Van Der Kley, Luchetti, McCallum, Creed and Greenhill have indicated their support for the sourcing/reallocation of the needed funds. I expect most others to follow suit in the next day or so."

balance tank 'plot' rumour quashed

Initially Friends of Blackheath Pool & Memorial Park were most concerned to hear a decision on repairing Blackheath Pool’s damaged balance tank was deferred at Council (see previuos post below). 

However, following discussions with Councillors we understand the deferral motion was made on sound financial management grounds. BMCC is in the midst of annual budget planning, so deferral allows time to find money to fix the balance tank.

FoBP&MP is convinced that rumours there’s a plot to close the Pool are absolutely untrue & are counterproductive.  We look forward to collaborating with Councillors & staff on achieving a balance tank fix in time for the start of the 2010/2011 season.

BALANCE TANK issue at BMCC Tues 23 Feb 2010

At Council on Tuesday night the BALANCE TANK matter was deferred by a majority vote of Councillors to allow time to find the estimated $200-250,000 fix money!
2010-02-23 Council Meeting: AGENDA

Background:
Prior to this season the Blackheath Pool balance tank failed & a temporary fix was made so the Pool could open on time.  During the renovation work 2003-2006 Blackheath Pool Advisory Group was assured the Balance Tank was sound & did NOT need replacement.

Business Paper of Tues 23 Feb 2010
A report to Council by BM City Services highlights:
“...that the new structure be piered to bedrock to prevent the additional mass on the existing floor causing settlement and subsequent cracking of the shell of the adjacent freeform pool.”

• As former BPAG advisors to Council during to the 2003-2006 remediation, FoBP&MP understood that the whole site was piered to bedrock during works. If this is the case some of the $200-250K costs may be defrayed;

• FoBP&MP finds it MOST disappointing that engineering assessment of the balance tank at the time of the remediation work led BPAG to believe the balance tank was secure for another decade.
Perhaps this offers Council some recourse to recoup monies on grounds of poor engineering advice?

“...work is expected to take six months to complete including the design phase.”

• Time is of the essence with an off-season of just eight months April to November 2010.
FoBP&MP is making a case for an early opening of The Pool in the 2010/11 Season – this would shorten the off-season to seven months. Blackheath Chamber of Commerce & Community support this proposal.


Most importantly FoBP&MP notes:

“...It is not considered an option to not proceed with this work, as this will ultimately result in the closure of the pool complex.”

• And CLOSURE OF THE POOL is clearly NOT an option for the Blackheath Community either!




excerpts from BMCC Business Paper

USING LAND FOR LIVING Item 21, Ordinary Meeting, 23.02.10
Item 21: Tender for Design and Construct Balance Tank at Blackheath Pool (4,019.9kb)
FILE NO: F05498 - 10/14451


Recommendations:
1. That the Council note that no tenders were received for the design and construction of a new balance tank at Blackheath Pool; and
2. That the Council resolve that the work be carried out by BM City Services in accordance with s178 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005.


Report by Acting Group Manager, BM City Services
Reason for report
This report is submitted in order to obtain the necessary resolution to proceed with the replacement of the balance tank at Blackheath Pool, as required under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 

Conclusion

As a result of the lack of tenders received and the latent risk associated with this work, it is recommended that BM City Services undertake the design and construction of a new balance tank at Blackheath Pool in order for the pool complex to be operating in time for the 2010/11 summer season.

FULL REPORT 2010-02-23 Council Meeting: Using Land for Living (NB this is a larger than 4.0MB Adobe Acrobat file)