The Gungahlin Leisure Centre is set to close both its pools from May 16 throughout the winter, meaning members won't have any aquatic access with no end date in sight.
The 25-metre pool will be closed for draining the balance tank, refurbishment of the tank's internal surfaces and the application of a waterproofing membrane system which is expected to finish in around 8 to 10 weeks according to an ACT government spokesperson.
This adds onto the saga of the 50-metre pool, that closed in June 2020 when tiles started to fall off, causing the government to fork out $1.5 million in March 2021 to repair the pool that was only newly built in 2014.
Liberal MLA Leanne Castley says "residents are up in arms" over the ongoing saga of Gungahlin pool, describing it as a "slap in the face" to swimmers of the area.
Ms Castley has criticised ACT Minister for Sport and Recreation Yvette Berry for thanking residents of Gungahlin on their understanding, saying "no one understands" and asks why the 25-metre pool has also now closed.
"It doesn't matter what area of government that I touch or have something to do with, there are just secrets left, right and centre, or this need to keep it quiet and it's so infuriating," Ms Castley said.
YMCA has informed members of the pool closure and updated their Facebook page however comments on their Facebook say parents were only notified around the time of the post on Tuesday.
"We understand this is an inconvenience to pool users and appreciate your patience while this work takes place," the statement said.
The fitness area will not be affected by the pool closure, meaning fitness membership will remain active while aquatic memberships will automatically be suspended until the pools open again.
Engineers had identified moisture coming into the 50-metre pool from the balance tank connected to the 25-metre pool and recommended maintenance be completed on the smaller pool before finishing the final stage of tiling.
"This will ensure the 50-metre pool is completely dry before tiling continues and will provide the best opportunity to address any issues before completing the final steps of the remediation works," a spokesperson said.
The construction process has been a saga as mystery surrounded the exact cause of the tiling problem considering the pool had only been open for seven years in 2014.
The ACT government had agreed to a $400,000 payout to cut ties with the builder of the Gungahlin Leisure Centre despite knowing it would not be enough to cover the pool's repair bill.
Ms Berry revealed last year the leisure centre cost $28.7 million to build in 2014 and agreed to the payout to avoid litigation and keeping the pool closed for longer.
It is expected work on the 50-metre pool will be completed by mid-2022 and reopen shortly after work is complete.
