Mt Barker pool closes down for winter redevelopment

The last swim for the season has come and gone in Mt Barker with work starting last week on the Mt Barker Memorial Swimming Pool redevelopment.

The Shire of Plantagenet endorsed plans for the first stage of the redevelopment in September 2020, after a feasibility study was undertaken in February 2019.

Stage 1A will include con- struction of a new building next to Mead Street, featuring a new entry to the pool area, office, kiosk, changerooms, toilets, clubroom, veranda and terraced area.

“It is a fairly big project so it will take probably six months (for the first stage), and we anticipate all those new buildings will be complete at the start of summer later this year,” Shire of Plantagenet chief executive Chris Pavlovich said.

“The second part of that is the underground works, such as the filtration systems and the pipes, and the new learn to swim pool which is under the ground.

“That phase isn’t funded yet and we don’t have a date for that yet but it will be next year’s challenge.”

He said the old facilities were seen out with the State carnival attended by 900 competitors and 1500 spectators on the March long weekend.

“Pretty much the day after they pulled down the stands and extra toilets blocks, we started with the new build,” he said.

“The pool is giving more and more every year and the morning lap swimmer actually line up, and they have a social group, its great.”