Lismore City Council has over 400 different assets that were severely damaged in the big flood on February 28, 2022. Council staff sat down with councillors to prioritise fixing each asset, with the Lismore Memorial Baths and Oakes/Crozier Field at the top of the list.

The Lismore App toured the two sites with Lismore City Council (LCC) Chief Operating Officer Brendan Logan to update the community on building progress and potential opening dates.

LISMORE MEMORIAL BATHS

The pools themselves, that is, the 50-metre pool (actually 51 metres) and the toddler pool, were not damaged in the big flood. Both pools needed to be cleared and given a first clean, with a more detailed clean scheduled before being refilled.

(The 50-metre pool August 2023)

(The 50-metre pool being cleaned in 2022)

The main problem areas for the Lismore Memorial Baths were the amenities (toilet block and change rooms), the electrical boards, the pool filtration system and the moveable starting blocks. The moveable starting blocks is why the pool is 51 metres. It can be moved to the 25-metre mark when needed. It is a piece of equipment that costs around $600,000 and needs to be ordered from overseas.

The number of pool filters will be reduced from 6 to 3 due to better efficiency in the newer models. They are adapted brewing vessels.

While the amenity block and the pool entrance are in the construction phase, there are elements that are susceptible to global supply chains. As Brendan Logan said, "You don't have 50-metre pools and their parts sitting on a shelf. They need to be built bespoke for this pool and then delivered."

This is why LCC is aiming for a summer opening, but that doesn't necessarily mean a start of summer opening. The lead-in time for key pieces of equipment is simply beyond their control. In the meantime, Bennett Constructions are working overtime to have the rest of the facility ready to go.

(The main power board from the street needs specific components to operate)

"We're putting a lot of constructive pressure on Bennett Constructions for a summer opening, but we do face considerable constraints there. If those lead times that were factored in are realised, I'm confident of a summer opening, but unfortunately, we don't control all of that either," Mr Logan explained.

Mr Logan praised the work of both Bennett Constructions and Greg Clark Building, which is the company rebuilding Oakes Oval and Crozier Field and the new building between the two sporting fields.

OAKES OVAL/CROZIER FIELD



The improvements to the Dawson Street grandstand are impressive. The main attraction is improved player and official changerooms and bathrooms, plus the all-important coaches' boxes and media rooms.

(One of the new coaches boxes overlooking Crozier Field)

The expectation is that, with improved lighting at Oakes Oval, Lismore will once again be a destination for AFL, NRL, and NSW/Australian Cricket matches.

"Most of the trimmings are completed. We're just going through defects with the contractors now, those tiny little things you find on any particular build that needs to be tidied up," Mr Logan said.

We're already fielding inquiries for use for next year, and I don't see anything that's going to get in the way of that type of stuff next year."

"The way that infrastructure has been set up now, we can look at Big Bash, AFL, you can look at a lot of those particular sports that require a certain standard. They can now come to Lismore. We see good things happening down in Coffs Harbour with their stadium setup, but what we've created here gives us a real point of difference, as far as I'm concerned, to attract some of the things that traditionally might go to Coffs Harbour."

That point of difference is the visual connectivity between the two grounds. The benefit is if you hold a State Championship that needs multiple venues, scouts, coaches and management can walk 10 metres and watch two games simultaneously.

(The back of Crozier Field looking onto Oakes Oval)

"It's pretty special. It's pretty unique for a regional area to have that type of setup, and where you might sit in front of one ground at Coffs or another stadium, you're a long way from another. Whereas with this one, you're only meters away from both. So it does give it a unique point of difference for a state championship with Northern New South Wales football or something of that ilk."

(Chief Operating Officer Brendan Logan (left) and Project Manager Steve Dillon at the standing bar overlooking Oakes Oval)

The capacity for the two sporting grounds has been increased significantly.

Oakes will have 8,000 capacity when opened, moving to 10,000 when completed, while Crozier Field will start at 6,000 and end at 8,000 capacity.

The new building should be ready to be used by the end of 2023.

As for the rest of the LCC assets to be rebuilt. Mr Logan said that covers around 400 in five main classes.

"We're scoping and scoping and scoping at the moment. I've been working very closely with the Reconstruction Authority in recent times. Simon Draper has been fantastic. He has really listened and done a fair bit of work in the background to try and get some momentum. The reality is we need all that talk and verbal commitment to be realised."

"From council's perspective, the biggest constraints of working capital and cash flow management for asset rebuild. So we need those milestone payments that the state (government) is talking about to come through, and then we definitely need, essentially, a forecast claim environment going forward so we can maintain momentum and rebuild these things in a reasonable timeframe for the community."

When asked if funding has been coming through slower than council would like, Mr Logan said, "Absolutely. I don't think anyone would deny that."

"I mean, you're eighteen months post-event now, and we're only working on a handful of rebuild assets. The current forecast will be peak construction three years post-event. It will never pass the pub test. No one will ever say that's good enough."

"I'd like to think the work we've done in the background with the Reconstruction Authority in recent weeks comes to pass, and we see some significant momentum soon."

NEXT ON THE AGENDA

"You'll have the Art Gallery, City Hall and the Library as the next assets to be rebuilt. They are probably sitting around 65% design, and once we get to 90% design, we can start to access funding and start to turn a sod on those particular projects."

"I guess for the CBD buildings in their entirety in our current program, we think we will be through the bulk of those by the middle of next year, sort of June/July 2024. But the one thing we need is funding from the state. We need the state to come home in a reasonable timeframe for us to meet our timeframes."