Another Sydney pool hit with multimillion-dollar blowouts, delays
The patience of water-loving Sydneysiders is being tested yet again as another of the city's pool projects has been hit with delays and cost blowouts.
The Willoughby Leisure Centre upgrade will now open 20 months behind schedule and cost the council $65 million – up from the original budget of $39 million.
Willoughby City Council originally announced the project as a refurbishment, with three new pools and a new roof for the pool hall.
When work began in 2022, the council had expected to use existing concrete piers supporting the building for the upgrade. However, council engineers discovered during construction that the existing piers would not be able to hold up the new pool hall.
The engineers then found issues with the construction of the concrete structure, dating back to when it was built in the 1980s, which changed the project from a refurbishment to a complete rebuild.
Work was also delayed when widespread asbestos was discovered on the site, which had previously been used as a dump.
A statement from the council said that the increased costs would not result in a change to residential or business rates.
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