Bunbury community invited to have say as councillors unanimously endorse Bunbury Ocean Pool concept plan

Bunbury residents are set to be able to have their say on a concept plan for what could be the first ocean pool in WA. City of Bunbury councillors unanimously endorsed this week a business case and concept plan for the highly-anticipated Bunbury Ocean Pool, sparking applause from a packed public gallery. Mayor Jaysen Miguel said it was great to see a high amount of interest from the community for the project and the City planned to hold community consultation during July and August through drop-ins and public meeting sessions. “We want to have a conversation about ‘what does this look like’,” he said. “We’ve now got a concept of what it may look like and some of the works around that, so the next stage is ‘we’ve got something and what does everyone think?’. “That might mean it could change significantly, it might be a matter of a few questions about what else might be considered and we want to take these on board. “We’re looking forward to getting some of that feedback and working through the next steps that may be to make this thing a reality.” It comes almost two years after a “fatal flaws study” exploring the feasibility for an ocean pool in the town was received and endorsed. It found there were no fatal flaws in the concept of constructing an ocean pool at Wyalup Rocky Point and using saltwater from the ocean. The Bunbury Ocean Pool would be the first true ocean pool built in Australia in more than 60 years and the first in WA. It is expected to become a major tourism attraction in the region and the State, featuring a 50m lap pool with four lanes, a 25m rehabilitation pool with two lanes suitable for people with all abilities, an entry ramp, a children’s pool and a wading zone. It is set to be available to the public 24-7 and free to use. Building it is expected to cost about $17.82 million, including the development of associated amenities and surrounding landscaping works. Ongoing operational costs are estimated at $385,000 per annum.