At its 24 November 2022 meeting, Lane Cove Council discussed the fate of the Jean Mitchell Baths located on Woodford Bay. The Baths are also referred to as the Lucretia Baths.
The Baths are a tidal pool located in Dunois Street Longueville. A report prepared by Lane Cove Council staff notes that the Baths are now showing signs of their age, and a structure rebuild is required.
Lane Cove Council resolved (subject to the appropriate funding model) to restore the baths. The intent is to limit the scope of any work to the rebuilding existing structure. No other work will be done, such as landscaping, installing change rooms or any other upgrades.
This is good news but the restoration is subject to Lane Cove Council finding funds to include the restoration works in their 2024/25 Budget.
The Lane Cove Council Jean Mitchell Baths Resolution
The Lane Cove Council resolution:
- Noted the results of the community consultation (see below in background).
- Noted the Baths are an item of heritage significance within the Lane Cove LGA.
- Noted that Lane Cove Council wanted to restore the Baths but any works would be limited to replacing like with like.
- Lane Cove Council receive a report at their September 2023 Meeting, which updates the council on the funds required to draft plans which are acceptable to Transport for NSW (or any other regulatory authorities). These plans will then be used to prepare a Development Application.
- Lane Cove Council have in place safety warning signs and other measures to ensure no unauthorised entry to the Baths (these will remain in place until the baths are restored).
- A funding model is reviewed at the Lane Cove Councillors 2024 corporate planning weekend, with the aim of including the Baths in Council’s 2024/25 Budget.
Community Engagement
Councillor Kennedy’s motion also proposed that a community engagement plan be undertaken where the council gauges community interest in volunteering, providing potential sponsorship. The community engagement process could include a mechanism for capturing other suggestions the community may have to assist in ongoing maintenance.
Councillor Kennedy noted that residents had suggested to her that the same model could be adopted as the Lane Cove Bushcare Volunteer Programme to assist with the restoration and ongoing management of the baths.
According to the Lane Cove Council website, over 270 local residents currently supporting Bushcare and the Community Nursery in Lane Cove. The volunteers partner with Lane Cove Council to actively care for, and restore, bushland reserves. The following groups are active:
- 23 Bushcare groups
- 1 StreamWatch group
- Lane Cove Community Nursery
- Lane Cove Bushcare Map
Most groups meet for 3 hours each month, on a set day of the week. A Council supervisor provides training for all skill levels. Corporate volunteer groups are also welcome. Find out more about Bushcare here.
Background
Lane Cove Council erected safety warning signage on the site in December 2022. Lane Cove Council has noted that the signs were subsequently removed by unknown members of the community, and replacement signs were erected on the site in March 2023.
The Jean Mitchell Baths have been in existence since the 1920’s. The Baths were originally built by the local residents for use as private baths.
This Baths enclosure is 20 by 25 metre on the western side of Woodford Bay in the lower Lane Cove River. The Baths are standalone, and there are no toilets or showers (and not even a café nearby!!)
The Baths operated under a lease between local residents and the Maritime Services Board (now Transport for NSW – TfNSW) until 1992 when the lease was transferred to Lane Cove Council.
Maintenance and Repairs
The Baths were reconstructed by the community members in 1968 and in 1987 and Lane Cove Council spent $7,500 in 1992. Council also undertook maintenance repairs in 2006.
Heritage Listed
Lucretia Baths is one of the 3 remaining examples of timber “shark” paling harbourside baths left in Sydney. Read the Heritage Listing here.
In 1994 the baths were heritage listed, along with Greenwich and the Tambourine Bay Baths.
Community Consultation
Lane Cove Council commenced community consultation on the future of the Baths between 22 December 2022 to 28 February 2023.
Lane Cove locals were asked what Council should do next and what their preferred outcome for the site was from the following two options:
- Complete rebuild of the Baths (cost $600,000)
- Demolition and removal of the Baths structure and the rejuvenation of the foreshore (cost $150,000)
A third option was for the community to specify alternative options to a complete rebuild or demolition and removal.
A total of 301 responses were received. This included 267 responses to LCCf’s survey and 34 separate written submissions. These responses included submissions from the Lane Cove Historical Society and the Longueville Residents Association.
The results were as follows:
| Option 1:
Complete rebuild of the Baths |
Option 2:
Demolition and removal of Baths structure |
Option 3:
Alternative and other options and comments |
|
240 (80%)
|
40 (13%) | 21 (7%) |
The preferred approach was to rebuild the baths.
The Lane Cove Council officer’s report notes:
“Along the river foreshore, Council has a number of properties which include structures that are used by the community for water-based activities. Many of the structures were constructed by the community with volunteer labour, without necessarily meeting typical construction standards. Council’s existing asset management regime does not seek to fund to replace these structures. Typically the lessee, a community entity, contributes financially to the replacement of their structures. As the baths are not proposed to be operated by any community group and no other financial assistance is available, Council needs to weigh up the relative merit of renewal of the baths compared to other community needs, to determine the future of the baths.
It is recommended that Council determine the future of the Jean Mitchell Lucretia Baths site in consideration of the results of the public consultation outlined in this report and budgetary considerations.
Depending on the decision, a further report outlining the details of the design for the site will be presented to Council and be the subject of further consultation.”
Funding
The 2023/2024 Budget Papers did not include funding for the restoration of the baths. Read more about the LCC Budget here.
In 2022 and 2023, Lane Cove Council applied for a grant to rebuild the bath pursuant to the NSW Government Places to Swim -2021/22 Grant Program, but they were unsuccessful.
Tambourine Bay Reserve
Lane Cove Council took over the lease for the Tambourine Bay Baths from the Maritime Service Board in 199. Reoccurring health, safety and maintenance issues led to the permanent closure of the Tambourine Bay Baths. Late in 2015, Council marked the location of the Tamborine Bay Baths with a plaque to recognise the unique history of the site, along with improvements to the recreation and picnic area. It should be noted that the water quality surveys at Tambourine Bay Reserve does fluctuate and can be categorised as pollution likely.
Swimming and Water Quality
In 2017 an article about Lucretia Baths on the Ocean Pools NSW website by Simon Duffin mentioned:
“I did manage to cut myself a few times swinging onto the metal stairs at the deep end, and although any shark would have had to be pretty hungry and pretty slim to get through the gap left by the one missing plank of wood in the fence, it did make me cut short my swim, as it was stinging even in the water.”
Each year the NSW Government releases a water quality report which monitors the water quality of 228 NSW swimming sites. You can read more about this report here.
The 2021/2022 Water Quality Report noted that Sydney’s Northern ocean beaches Manly to Palm Beach were rated good or very good.
The Water Quality Report also looks at harbourside beaches. In the 2021/2022 report, Greenwich Baths, and Woodford Bay were rated as good. Tambourine Bay was rated poor (it was rated poor last year).
An extract from the 2018 Water Quality Report Noted:
An extract from the 2015 Water Quality Report Noted:
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