Sydneysiders must wait one more summer before taking a dip in the North Sydney Olympic Pool.
Contractor ICON scheduled completion and hand over of the facility 4 December 2025. However, North Sydney Council estimate that an official public reopening will occur in early 2026 with needing time to prepare and commission the site for operation. This process can take up to 3 months. As a result, residents and visitors will miss out on enjoying the pool for another summer.
From the beginning when Council first began renewal of the site, the pool project has been rife with issues. Independent consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) reviewed the project after being commissioned by Council to understand the project’s failures and delays, and bring the project back on track.
Findings were reported to Council in April 2023, where PwC noted the budget for the project was not sufficient, risks of the project were not taken into meaningful consideration, and the governance during the pre-construction phase was lacking.
Earlier this year, construction company ICON filed a lawsuit against North Sydney Council for $28 million in compensation due to delays and design changes.
In the end, the project was over $60 million over budget and almost 3 years behind the initial completion date.
To stir up cash flow after the financial black hole that was the pool redevelopment, Council introduced increasing rates 90 per cent and is now charging $50 per person for access to the Blues Point Reserve for New Years Eve.
The official opening date for the North Sydney Pool is yet to be announced.