Plan to build WA’s first ocean pool

Artists impression of proposed pool (from Channel 9 News)

The Town of Mosman Park council decided this week to investigate the concept of building WA’s first ocean pool at North Leighton Beach.   The pool would cost around $7M and be 50 meters  wide.   The Mayor of Mosman Park, Ron Norris is interviewed in this Channel 9 News story.

The pool would be similar to the recently upgraded Merewether Ocean Baths in Newcastle and another in Honolulu.  See our photo gallery  and videos for many other examples  of ocean pools from the Eastern States and around the world.

Upgraded – Merewether Ocean Baths

Also see article in the West Australian.

 

Posted in Ocean Pools, Western Australia | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Symposium on Ocean Pools

symposium-facebook-post-2

All are welcome to the this FREE event.

See the event page on Facebook

Download a PDF of the program & speakers

A Symposium on Ocean Pools
Friday September 30th 2016 at 2-4PM
Tannock Hall
The University of Notre Dame
Cnr of Cliff & Croke Sts, Fremantle

Presented by Ocean Pools WA (OPWA)

Why does NSW have nearly 100 stunning ocean pools for communities & tourists, while WA still has NONE?

In the right location and with 21st century engineering, we will explain how ocean pools can be built simply, be easily maintained and even HEATED.

Find out how these environmentally friendly pools would benefit locals, our economy through tourism and help improve health and well-being for all ages and abilities.

Posted in Ocean Pools, Perth, Western Australia | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

23 Reasons Australia Is The Most Stunningly Perfect Place To Travel

Reason No2. Australians have swimming pools in their oceans (Bronte beach, Sydney)

Reason  2.   Australians have swimming pools in their oceans     (Bronte beach, Sydney)

The Huffington Post‘s life style editor Suzy Strutner lists “ocean pools” as one of the “reasons Australia is the most stunningly perfect place to travel”.

Suzi strutner

Huffington Post’s life style editor Suzy Strutner

Read her article here.

Posted in Ocean Pools, Tourism, travel | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leça Swimming Pools – Portugal

Leca Swimming Pool in Portigual Leca Swimming Pool in Portigual kids Leca design Leca pool

Since its completion in 1966 the Leça Swimming Pool complex, by Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, has been an internationally recognized building. Still almost half a century later, it has gracefully retained its architectural integrity and remained a popular retreat. The Leça Swimming Pools has established itself as one of Siza’s greatest early works, and as an example of his careful reconciliation between nature and his design.

See article and all 18 images amazing images on Arch Daily

leca pool industrial Lec pool beach

Posted in Ocean Pools | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Review of Beach Policy -Town of Cottesloe call for comment

Artists Impression of the proposed Cottesloe Ocean Pool

Artists Impression of the proposed Cottesloe Ocean Pool

The Town of Cottesloe is calling for submissions from the public for the review of its Beach Policy.

If you would like to see an Ocean Pool at Cottesloe beach (or if you have any other ideas or issues about Cottesloe beaches), now is the time to send a quick email to the CEO of the Town of Cottesloe and let him know;

Mr Carl Askew
council@cottesloe.wa.gov.au

Submissions close at 4pm on Monday the 28th of July.

(Note – This does not need to be a lengthy detailed document. A very brief email is fine. But make sure you include your name and address).

See Review of Beach Policy – Town of Cottesloe  

Also see the related post on  Ocean Pools for Perth on Facebook.

Posted in Actions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Young amputee’s plea for an Ocean Pool at Cottesloe

Channel 9 News aired version

Click image to view video

This is a phone video of the aired version of the Channel 9 News segment about the proposed Cottesloe Ocean Pool, aired on Friday the 2nd of May, 2014.    I it is different to the on-line version.   This version focuses on Cottesloe resident, Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy’s passionate plea to have the pool built. Kathleen is a paralympian amputee and she believes the pool would make life much easier for her.

Cottesloe resident Kathleen O'Kelly-Kennedy

Cottesloe resident Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Cottesloe Pool – New Images and Update

Here are the fantastic new images of the proposed Ocean Pool for Cottesloe have been released this week.

There will be a Public Meeting to discuss the proposed plans at;
5pm, Thursday 1st of May 2014
Cottesloe Town Council
109 Broome Street, Cottesloe

Artists Impression of the proposed Cottesloe Ocean Pool

Artists Impression of the proposed Cottesloe Ocean Pool

 

View from the beach

View from the beach

Cottesloe Image Above

Disabled access

Disabled access

COTTESLOE OCEAN POOL: WORLD’S BEST PRACTICE

  • The state of Western Australia is crying out for its first ocean pool and all the town of Cottesloe needs to do is reach out to the world’s best practice consultancy at its fingertips and it can happen.
  • The Town of Cottesloe will soon be presented with a cutting edge design for the first ocean pool at a metropolitan beach in Western Australia.
  • Impetus for the pool began after the second shark attack around Cottesloe that took the life of regular swimmer Ken Crewe. The shark factor is evidenced in the dwindling number of early morning swimmers and reinforced by the seemingly ever present great white sharks, like the one sighted recently cruising within metres of the shoreline at a beach not far from Cottesloe.
  • Other factors include the ballooning of an aging population and the complete absence of a facility that allows disabled swimmers to enjoy the mainstream beach culture, which is every Australian’s right. Families with infants and small children, more mature learners, recreational swimmers and aquatic sport users are also important segments of the populations that an ocean pool caters for.
  • Ocean pool culture is well established on the east coast of Australia. As well as providing a safe recreational swimming facility, there are dozens of swimming clubs that use them. Athletes like Olympic gold medal winner Shane Gould learnt to swim in one. She is a strong advocate of learning in a natural environment, where moving from the protection of a beach pool to the open ocean is easy to achieve.
  • A recent survey of American tourists rated “pools in the ocean” as the number two reason they are attracted to Australia and to Sydney in particular. Many people in WA now have a growing awareness of the benefits of these amenities that number over 100 on the other side of the country.
  • The cutting edge research and development work that has been done for this pool is led by Professor Jorg Imberger, Director of UWA’s Centre For Water Research (CWR) and WA’s 2008 Scientist Of The Year. CWR’s World renowned oceanographic modelling systems have attracted international acclaim for Professor Imberger, with awards  that include the Stockholm Prize For Water. As a leader in his field he currently sits on a panel of experts selected worldwide to consult on the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The CWR at UWA, under Imberger’s directorship, is world’s best practice and has undertaken important research at numerous iconic locations, including the Venice Lagoon and The Sea of Galilee.  There is no better environmental engineering advice available to the Cottesloe Pool than at The University of Western Australia.

http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201006162579/business-and-industry/jorg-imberger-advise-bp-gulf-oil-spill

  • In support of the engineering work already done, UWA’s Professor Emeritus John Bloomfield AM, has joined the project to consult and advise on the sporting, recreational and disabled access aspects of this pool. Professor Bloomfield is also recognised as a world leader in his field with his important Australian Government Report that led to the development of the Australian Sports System, and in turn the establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), which turned around the fortunes of sport in Australia after the Montreal Olympics.  He has chaired the AIS, the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Sports Medicine and the Australian Sports Science Federations.  His contribution to Australia saw him inducted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame in 2007.

http://www.sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame/member-profile/?memberID=509&memberType=athlete

  •  Professor Bloomfield is one of the best sport and recreation brains Australia has produced and, like Professor Imberger, his work for our community has brought the award of Western Australian Citizen of the Year. Earlier in his life he was an elite swimmer and surf life saver and much of this training base was achieved in the Kiama ocean pool, where he swam many thousands of laps before competing abroad in two Australian surf life saving teams. In these teams he grew close to a Western Australian and Australian legend of surf life saving, Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club’s Don Morrison OAM. http://www.wais.org.au/other/hallofchampions_detail.php?ID=100
  • Morrison, a Cottesloe citizen Of The Year, passed away in 2006 but he is recognised as the Godfather of the Cottesloe Ocean Pool. He held local life saver Tom Locke, also a Cottesloe Citizen of the Year, responsible for its completion as his life was drawing to a close.
  • History and evidence demonstrate that where ocean pools are already built they are much loved by the users but most of these structures date back to the 1930s. Austinmer’s pool just north of Wollongong is an example of this. Many aging pools in other states in need of refurbishment may benefit from the very low maintenance design delivered by Professor Imberger’s CWR.
  • http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2028511/exhilaration-is-a-swim-in-austinmer-ocean-pool/
  • On the first of May the Town of Cottesloe will conduct a public briefing on the proposed pool. With ocean pool support groups in other areas of Perth and regional WA, this state is crying out for its first one. Albany, Quinns Rock, Stirling, Fremantle and the Shire of Irwin are all looking to the world class preparatory work already completed at Cottesloe.

 

CONCLUSIONS

  • The Cottesloe pool’s 21st century engineering science will eliminate much of the costly cleaning of old pool designs that accumulated sand, weed and other debris.
  • The environmental engineering aspects of the Cottesloe Pool have been augmented with input from a world renowned sports scientist, who has also had practical surf life saving experience
  • Western Australia is more than ready for this state-of-the-art ocean pool at Cottesloe. Once it is established, others will follow.

Tom Locke

Contact : 0425 313 822

Tommylocke45@gmail.com

17 April 2014

Posted in Aquatic, Ocean Pools, Sustainability, Swimming, Western Australia, Winter swimming | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Proposed Design for Cottesloe Ocean Pool

nov 2013 mixed block CWR 021

Brilliant presentation yesterday by Luan Nguyen and Dan Courtney at the Centre for Water Reseach at UWA about their research on the Cottesloe Ocean Pool.

They have come up with a design that is self-flushing and virtually maintenance free. The good news is that it will not effect the beach and will improve surfing conditions and it would only cost about $1.65 million.

Ocean Pool Design

Ocean Pool design for Cottesloe by Luan Nguyen and Dan Courtney

The exciting new news is that it looks like it can even be heated using wave power for the additional cost of around $2m, which could also create enough electricity for the surrounding beach front.

The design includes access for the disabled, so people in wheel chairs will fianally go to the beach and swim and enjoy the ocean environment.

The pool’s size needs to be determined, but it would have lap lanes and would be used just like a normal pool for squads, swimming lessons, water polo and recreational swimming with a deep end and a shallow end.

Proposed ocean pool location, Cottesloe Beach, WA

Proposed ocean pool location, Cottesloe Beach, WA

See article in today’s West Australian Newspaper   here

Posted in Ocean Pools, Western Australia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Winter Swimming Club Video

Winter Swimming Dee Why

First day of the Winter Swimming season

See this fantastic video taken in 2011 for the launch of the Winter Swimming season by the Dee Why Ice Picks in NSW.

We must have Ocean Pools in Perth, so we can host national and international Winter Swimming competions.  Ocean Pools are also excellent for Water Polo.

Posted in Ocean Pools, Perth, Swimming, Winter swimming | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Building on water saves space

Copenhagen Habour Bath

Copenhagen Habour Bath

A lack of land creates a need to be resourceful.  See some great images in this article about the Copenhagen Harbour Bath.  Anything built in the ocean would have to be a lot more sturdy than this, however there are lots of ideas in this example that could be incorporated into Ocean Pools in WA.

Copenhagen Harbour Bath Design

Copenhagen Harbour Bath Design

Desperate for more green space in Paris, they have built a floating park  on the river Seine (see below).  It will be amazing when the trees get bigger;

Floating park Paris ( Berges Plantes)

Floating park Paris ( ‘ Berges de Seine’ )

Berge de Seine design concepts

Berge de Seine design concept

This boat house  village in Victoria on Vancouver Island is a huge tourist attraction (see more);

Floating homes on Vancouver Island in the city of Victoria

Floating homes on Vancouver Island in the city of Victoria

Floating homes, Victoria on Vancouver Island

Floating homes, Victoria on Vancouver Island

Why consume land, when you can extend it?  This was the view of many Planners and Designers in Perth, who wanted to build restauarants and hotels etc. out over the Swan River rather than digging out the Perth Esplanade public open space to create Elizabeth Quay.  See below an alternative plan from the City Gatekeepers website, which demostrates how we could have retained the open space (which other big cities are so desperate for)  and had all of the “vibrant” exciting things as well;

Alternative plan for the Perth Foreshore saves space

Alternative plan for the Perth Foreshore saves space

This brings us to Ocean Pools.  Building pools in the ocean here in WA makes sense, it leaves more land for parks, bushland and homes.   See the proposed Cottesloe Ocean Pool design below (see more).

Concept plan for Cottesloe Ocean Pool

Like us on Facebook Ocean Pools for Perth

Twitter @OceanPoolsWA

Posted in Bushland, Environment, Ocean Pools, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment