Kilsyth Centenary Pool - Closed

Announcement

The Kilsyth Centenary Pool is permanently closed following a decision made at a Council Meeting in October 2023.

This followed structural assessments that identified significant defects to the dome and supporting fixtures.

Find out more about the permanent closure in our media release.

We will decommission the pool within the coming months. The land will be reinstated to parkland for community use while a master plan for the Kiloran Park precinct will be completed. This will review how the community wants to use this area, which may include ways to memorialise the pool.

Find out about our future proposal for Aquatics and Leisure in Yarra Ranges and have your say on our draft strategy.

Have your say on the Aquatics Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What was wrong with Kilsyth Pool?

When it was built, Kilsyth Centenary Pool was at the height of aquatics facilities, however it no longer meets today’s expectations or accessibility requirements.

The cost to renovate to meet today’s standards is prohibitive and Council needs to make the right decision on where to invest in aquatics facilities for the municipality as a whole.

The pool does not have different depths throughout
The pool does not have a variety of temperatures for warm water swimming
Failure in the sand filters
Underground water pipes leaking
Significant leak to pool shell and associated pool balance tanks in 50m pool
The layers of the pool lining are separating and coming apart in the spa and learn to swim pool causing leaks
Failure to dome fixtures
Dome membrane showing signs of significant deterioration
The filter and boiler for the outdoor pools have reached the end of their mechanical life.

Why can’t repairs be undertaken?

The current state of the facility has been estimated to require at least $2,000,000 for the pool to potentially reopen.

Given the age and condition of the facility, this investment may only provide a limited number of years of operation before additional investment is needed. It will also not meet the accessibility requirements for all users, nor be renovated to the extent that people expect an aquatics facility today.

What about the users of Kilsyth Pool who have been displaced?

Since the closure in March 2023 significant effort has been made to accommodate the users impacted.

Belgravia Leisure has been able to make allowance for users at their neighbouring sites. Maroondah Leisure has also been able to accommodate displaced members by increasing the capacity of their Learn to Swim program.

Council acknowledges that the Lilydale Swim Club has been negatively impacted by the closure of their home facility in Kilsyth. Arrangements have been made to allow for temporary use of other facilities such as Knox Leisure Works and the Yarra Centre.

What are the environmental impacts of Kilsyth Pool?

The dome structure at Kilsyth pool has a significant environmental impact due to the permeability of the dome structure.

It is the highest user of all Council utilities/aquatics facilities representing 42.3% of total emissions and costing $449,991 per year.

In addition, the pool is currently leaking approximately 100,000L of water every week and this water needs to be replaced until the facility can be closed.