Stalled On The Blocks
Central Coast Herald
Thursday July 10, 2003
EVEN Eric the Eel would have trouble training in the 15metre ocean baths at McMasters Beach.
Built in 1963, the baths have served the community well over four decades, but the time has come to refurbish and restore the icon.
McMasters Beach Surf Club recently outlined its plan to expand the pool's width by 10metres and increase its depth by about 0.5metres.
But it appears the pool's quaint dimensions will have to remain in the face of rigid State Government coastal development regulations that would forbid the expansion of the footprint area.
Gosford City Council, which has offered $50,000 towards improving the pool, recently advised the surf club of the development impasse.
The project would involve extending the pool across a 10metre section of stony foreshore with minimal disruption to the environment. ``We're only talking about 10 metres; we're not destroying the environment to any great extent," McMasters Beach Surf Club president Jim Myers said.
``It's not just summer, the pool is used all year around.
``Another 10metres would make the pool a lot more flexible and useful to the local community.
``Our local Max Maniacs winter swimmers would benefit, so would the Nippers.
``It would also be a lot more useful to visitors who come looking here for somewhere quiet to swim."
Ironically, no planning or development consent was required when the pool was built 40 years ago.
``It's not like we are asking for a lot of money to do this," Mr Myers said.
``The pool was originally built by volunteers and there would be plenty of help from the local community to extend the pool."
A spokesman for the Department of Sustainable Natural Resources said it would not comment on a proposal that it had not yet formally considered.
If the club's plans to extend the width of the pool fail, options including reskinning the surface of the existing structure will be explored.
© 2003 Central Coast Herald