Surrounded by the happy sounds of children splashing in the water and families chatting gaily amongst themselves, Clarence Valley Council (CVC) Mayor Ray Smith stood proudly alongside fellow councillors and council staff, Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan, Member for Clarence Richie Williamson, members of the Grafton Scout Group, and other visiting dignitaries and community members as he cut the ribbon and officially opened the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre on March 22.
It was a highly anticipated occasion for the Clarence Valley community who have waited more than two years to access the $29.1 million state-of-the-art facility.
The site of the former Grafton Olympic Pool was initially closed in September 2022 due to major safety concerns after an on-site inspection by council staff two months prior revealed significant subsidence has occurred between the diving pool and the 50m pool, resulting in substantial issues surrounding the structural adequacy of the facility, which was more than 60 years old.
A little over 12 months later and following passionate community campaigning and petitions to reopen the premises, there was ecstatic rejoicing when the project was finally given the green light during an Ordinary Meeting of Council on September 26, 2023.
While ongoing wet weather during the final months of construction in 2024 initially delayed the scheduled completion and subsequent opening of the facility, the 50m Grafton Olympic Pool was opened to the public on February 15, and another large crowd gathered together to attend the official opening on the weekend.
During the official proceedings, Mr Hogan touched on the emotional history associated with the initial opening of the pool in the 1950s and its construction following the tragic drowning of 13 Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs in the Clarence River on December 11, 1943, when the flat-bottomed punt they were travelling in capsized as they returned from a picnic on Susan Island.
The indoor pool at the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre was named the Grafton Cub Scout Memorial.
On behalf of CVC and the local community, CVC General Manager Laura Black extended her appreciation to Hines Construction in acknowledgment of their work on the project, and other local and Northern NSW based businesses for their efforts in delivering the facility.
To commemorate the official opening, free entry was provided for all visitors to the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre.
CVC recently received a $1.6 million grant from the Federal Government through the Department of Infrastructure’s Growing Regions Program to enable them to deliver two recreational water slides at the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre by the end of 2025.
This article appeared in Clarence Valley Independent, 26 March 2025.
