Strong community use, rising participation, and the Sawtell Pool’s status as a longstanding local asset are at the heart of growing concern surrounding its future, as public consultation continues on the City of Coffs Harbour’s draft Aquatic Facilities Strategy.
The draft strategy, currently on exhibition, sets out a 15-year roadmap for how the Council plans to manage and invest in public aquatic facilities across the region. Proposed long-term changes to Sawtell Pool have prompted widespread concern among local residents, swimming clubs and families who rely on the facility year-round
President of the Sawtell Swimming Club, Paul Stevens, said the potential replacement of the pool came as a shock, especially in light of strong recent growth and increased community use.
The club now has more than 150 members, including over 100 competitive swimmers, with Wednesday night club meets regularly drawing strong community participation. Annual carnivals bring swimmers from across the wider region, while the pool is also heavily used for squad training, school-based learn-to-swim programs, aqua aerobics, and recreational swimming.
“We’ve had significant growth over the last few years, and that information was provided to the consultants who drafted the aquatic strategy,” Mr Stevens said. “So, to then see Sawtell Pool potentially downgraded in the long term was a real surprise.”
He said the existing five-lane pool, opened in 1978, continues to operate effectively, with engineering assessments indicating no urgent need for replacement.
“It’s a busy, working facility,” he said. “Even during non-peak times, it’s full of recreational users. It’s an important community asset and replacing it with a splash pad simply wouldn’t meet the needs of swimming clubs, schools, or many regular users.”
However, the long-term direction outlined by the City of Coffs Harbour has generated the strong response from the Sawtell community. The draft strategy proposes maintaining Sawtell Pool as a local-level facility in the short term, before transforming it into a destination water-play facility with interactive features in the future, citing a significant population catchment overlap with a proposed regional aquatic centre in Coffs Harbour. Under the draft plan, any redevelopment would only occur once the regional-level aquatic centre is established.
Local users and swimming groups argue this approach fails to reflect current and growing demand for lap swimming, competition, learn-to-swim programs, and year-round community use at Sawtell Pool, particularly at a time when participation numbers are increasing rather than declining.
Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams has acknowledged the level of anxiety within the community, stressing that the strategy has not yet been adopted and that councillors have not endorsed any future closure or redevelopment of Sawtell Pool.
Cr Williams said councillors unanimously supported spending additional money on Sawtell Pool and reconsidering the long-term options outlined in the draft.
“This is a draft strategy only,” she said. “None of the councillors have endorsed it, and the most important part of this process now is community submissions.”
She encouraged residents to take part in the consultation process and to be specific about how they use the pool and what they value most.
“Submissions don’t have to be long or complex,” Cr Williams said. “Tell us how often you use the pool, whether it’s for recreation, squad swimming, learn-to-swim, or community events, and what’s most important to you. That helps us understand community priorities if there are trade-offs or timeframes to consider.”
The draft Aquatic Facilities Strategy aims to address challenges facing councils across Australia, including ageing infrastructure, rising maintenance costs, population growth and changing community expectations.
The City of Coffs Harbour currently operates four aquatic facilities and is aiming for a more coordinated approach to programming, accessibility, and long-term investment. Other key proposals include developing a new regional-level aquatic centre in Coffs Harbour, redeveloping Woolgoolga Pool as a district-level facility, and enhancing Orara Valley Community Pool as a local facility.
Council has stated there are no immediate closures or upgrades planned, and that any implementation would be staged over several years and subject to funding.
Community consultation on the draft Aquatic Facilities Strategy is open until Sunday, 25 January 2026.
Residents can make a submission by completing the online submission form via the City of Coffs Harbour website, emailing coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au or writing to Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450.
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