AusLeisure

Cairns’ popular Tobruk Memorial Pool is on course to reopen in April 2016 despite unseasonable wet weather setting back construction work.

Closed in November last year, the $22 million development of a new 50-metre 10 lane Olympic pool, wave pool, fully shaded areas, grandstand seating and upgraded amenities ­including a reception area and kiosk is reportedly 70% complete.

The walls of the 50 metre swimming pool have been tiled, while work is underway on the children’s wading pool.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor, Bob Manning, was confident the facility would be opened for public use by April, telling local media “the contractors have said that, so that’s what we’re aiming for.

“A cyclone or bad floods could have an impact but barring that we will work towards operating in April.

“There have been issues at a site like this, once this land would have been swamp, but the engineers are here to solve these problems.”

Construction was first set to finish by the end of this year, but record June rainfall in Cairns has extended the target to mid-March.

Cairns Councillor Max O’Halloran said the Council was “happy with progress”, adding “we’ve had a few delays and unforeseen circumstances, but they are the sorts of things that can happen.

Councillor O’Halloran expects that the revamped Tobruk Memorial Pool will be a major asset for the Cairns community, highlighting that it has already attracted interest from elite athletes.

He added “we’ve got Paralympians who want to come here and train next year, which is a really good start.

“We’ll have a lot going for us with a FINA-standard pool being two minutes from the airport and close to accommodation.”

The construction contract was awarded to ADCO in October last year, while Belgravia Leisure won the contract to manage facility in July.

Commemorating the Second World War’s Rats of Tobruk, the facility was first opened in 1962.

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