At its 24 November 2022 meeting, Lane Cove Council discussed the fate of the Jean Mitchell Baths on Woodford Bay. The Baths are also referred to as the Lucretia Baths.
A report prepared by Lane Cove Council staff noted that the Baths showed signs of age, and a structure rebuild was required. Lane Cove Council erected safety warning signage on the site in December 2022. Lane Cove Council has noted that unknown community members subsequently removed the signs, and replacement signs were erected on the site in March 2023.
The Baths are a tidal pool located in Dunois Street Longueville.
Lane Cove Council resolved (subject to the appropriate funding model) to restore the baths.
The intent was to limit the scope of any work to rebuilding the existing structure. No other work, such as landscaping, installing change rooms or any other upgrades, was to be done.
This was good news, but the restoration is subject to Lane Cove Council finding funds to include the restoration works in their 2024/25 Budget.
Lane Cove Council further resolved to receive a report regarding the process and funding required to develop plans for the restoration of the baths and to develop and implement a community engagement program to gauge interest in the community being involved in the restoration project.
The Report regarding the process and funding of the restoration project will be discussed at the September Lane Cove Council Meeting.
Repairs More Complicated and Expensive
The Lane Cove Council’s officer reports note the baths’ restoration may be more complicated and expensive than contemplated. The Report notes that after discussions with other councils that have restored tidal baths, the cost could be over $1 million.
Before any further steps can be taken, Lane Cove Council wants to obtain advice from a suitably qualified consultant on the timeframe and costs associated with restoration.
The Lane Cove Officer’s Report recommends a proposal from Royal HaskoningDHV. They note their proposal is the most comprehensive, thorough, and realistic of those received. Royal HaskoningDHV is a consultancy specialising in coastal and maritime studies and the investigation, design, and documentation of foreshore structures.
The company has been involved in design access upgrades to the Clontarf tidal pool, the upgrade of North Narrabeen Ocean Rock Pool, the design upgrade for 40 Baskets pool, Fairy Bower Ocean pool stormwater outlet replacement and Collaroy Ocean pool structural repairs.
Royal HaskoningDHV fee will be $137,850 ex GST, and they propose undertaking the work in two stages.
Next Steps
The next step is to engage the consultant. They have suggested a two-stage approach.
Stage One
The first step is to prepare documentation and plans for a development application and to seek Transport for NSW’s (TfNSW) permission.
Documents to be prepared include Survey plans, Basis of Design memorandum, Statement of Heritage Impact, Aquatic Habitat Survey report, Geotechnical Report, Concept design drawings (up to 2), Concept Design report, Preliminary quantity survey and cost estimates, Statement of Environmental Effects, Permission to Lodge (a Development Application) application to TfNSW.
The timeline for Stage 1 is 14 weeks. The cost of Stage 1 is $78,700 ex. GST, (DA fees are additional).
TfNSW can take as much time as they like to grant their permission (there are no statutory timeframes for this process). Once their to lodge the DA is obtained, the DA would need to be assessed independently, and as the Council is the applicant, the Local Planning Panel will determine the application.
The timeline for Development Application assessment and determination is ten weeks.
Stage 2
The consultant will then prepare Detailed Design documents to be incorporated into the Tender Documentation.
Works include Geotechnical Report, Detailed Design report, Detailed Design drawings (up to 20), Detailed Design specification notes, Issued for Tender drawings (up to 20), Issued for Tender specification notes, Schedule of quantities, Preconstruction cost estimate, Schedule of Rates and Lump Sum Items template, Method Statement Schedule template.
The cost of Stage 2 is $59,150 ex. GST.
After completing this process, a progress report will be presented to Lane Cove Councillors at their 2024 Corporate Planning Weekend. This weekend, councillors discuss projects and priorities for the 2024/2025 operational plans and budgets.
Community Consultation
Lane Cove Council will be seeking community consultation to gauge interest in volunteering, sponsorship, and any community contribution.
Resolution
Lane Cove Councillors are being asked to vote on the following resolution:
| RECOMMENDATION
That Council: 1. Receive and note the Report. 2. Determine if it wishes to proceed with the next stage of the Project, which would include preparing documentation for TfNSW Permission to lodge a DA for $78,700 ex GST, to be funded from the Capital Expenditure Reserve. 3. Receive a progress report at the 2024 Corporate Planning Weekend; and 4. Undertake a further community engagement process to gauge the community’s interest in further involvement with the Baths project. |
Contamination Testing
As part of the due diligence process, Lane Cove Council engaged an environmental consultant to assess the water and soil quality near the site at approximately $12,000.
The Council is still awaiting the results of the investigation. When available, the results will be issued to Councillors separately before the Council Meeting.
November 2022 Lane Cove Council Jean Mitchell Baths Restoration 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 received a report at their September 2023 Meeting, which updates the Council on the funds required to draft plans 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 safety warning signs and other measures in place 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 the Council’s 2024/25 Budget.
2022/2023 Community Consultation
Lane Cove Council commenced community consultation on the future of the Baths between 22 December 2022 and 28 February 2023.
Lane Cove locals were asked what the 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 alternatives 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 the Lane Cove Historical Society’s and Longueville Residents Association’s recommendations.
The results were as follows:
| Option 1:
Complete rebuild of the Baths |
Option 2:
Demolition and removal of Bath 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 several properties which include structures used by the community for water-based activities. The community constructed Many structures with volunteer labour without meeting typical construction standards. The Council’s existing asset management regime does not seek to fund to replace these structures. Typically, the lessee, a community entity, contributes financially to replace their systems. As the baths are not proposed to be operated by any community group, and no other financial assistance is available, the Council needs to weigh up the relative merit of renewal of the baths compared to different community needs to determine the future of the baths.
It is recommended that the Council determine the future of the Jean Mitchell Lucretia Baths site considering the results of the public consultation outlined in this Report and budgetary considerations.
Depending on the decision, a further report outlining the design details 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 under the NSW Government Places to Swim -2021/22 Grant Program, but they were unsuccessful.
At the November 2022 meeting, Councillor Kennedy proposed a community engagement plan 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 that the same model could be adopted as the Lane Cove Bushcare Volunteer Programme to assist with restoring and maintaining the baths.
According to the Lane Cove Council website, over 270 residents support 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.
Historical Background
The Jean Mitchell Baths have been in existence since the 1920’s. The residents originally built the Baths for use as private baths.
This Baths enclosure is 20 by 25 metres 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 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 community members reconstructed the Baths in 1968 and 1987, and Lane Cove Council spent $7,500 in 1992. The Council also undertook maintenance repairs in 2006.
Heritage Listed
Lucretia Baths is one of the three remaining examples of timber “shark” paling harbourside baths left in Sydney. Read the Heritage Listing here.
In 1994, the Baths and Greenwich and the Tambourine Bay Baths were heritage-listed.
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, the Council marked the location of the Tamborine Bay Baths with a plaque to recognise the site’s unique history, along with improvements to the recreation and picnic area. It should be noted that the water quality surveys at Tambourine Bay Reserve do 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 excerpt from the 2015 Water Quality Report Noted:
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