Two mobility hoists confirmed for North Sydney Olympic Pool reopening

North Sydney Council has confirmed its Olympic pool will have two mobility hoists available for its elderly and disabled patrons when it reopens in August.

What happened: In the past month, the North Shore council has been slammed by media outlets for its alleged failure to ensure its pool project is fully accessible to users with limited mobility.

• Concerns over equitable access were first raised when local resident Julia Laverty discovered the new design of the pool had not retained the previous mobility hoist.
  

• Instead, the design only provided a ramp entrance, accessible via a water wheelchair.

Online support: Laverty, a wheelchair user, launched a petition calling on council to retain the hoist, claiming a ramp would pose a “significant barrier to access”. 

Mayor Zoë Baker told the Lorikeet that following this, Laverty toured the pool with council's head of infrastructure, and was invited to give feedback. 

Final touches: While the pool project has achieved practical completion, the job is far from complete. Projects like fitting out HVAC and getting the aquatic plant up and running still need to be seen out. 

Another task for council between practical completion and opening is seeking regulatory approvals for the site: fire safety, public health and importantly, accessibility. 

Not so fast: Complying with industry standards in design and construction is one thing: being actually accessible can be another. 

One of the first groups set to tour the pool was the council's Active Access and Inclusion Committee, in order to provide practical experience from those living with disability. 

The council made the decision to purchase two mobile hoists before this committee was able to visit. 

What they’re saying: Mayor Baker told the Lorikeet the decision was informed by feedback from Laverty, which was “endorsed by the access committee”. 

In response to critical reporting of the issue, Baker said “it was a gotcha when there was no gotcha to be had”. 

When approached for comment, a North Sydney Council spokesperson said a fixed poolside hoist was not included in the initial design due to “challenges relating to access, safety and reliability”. 

“Instead, Council will provide two mobile hoists that can be booked online ahead of a visit and used across all water bodies”.

Julia Laverty was contacted for this story.