A country town with four schools and three preschools will have its public swimming pool shut for another summer, following structural damage caused by extreme flooding.
“There's 1,080 children at those schools who haven't got anywhere in town to swim, and we've got three preschools with kids that need to learn to swim,” Bob Clarke - a swimmer who has lived in Wingham for more than 60 years - told the Mid North Coaster.
“That's without including the outlying areas of Bobin and Tinonee. All these schools use this pool through the summer.”
Flood effect: The Wingham pool opened in 1969 and was empty at the time of the one-in-500 year flood event, which hit large areas of the Mid North Coast last May.
When the floodwaters cleared, an assessment found the pool floor was severely cracked and slabs had separated as a result of ground movement.
MidCoast Council expects to find further damage to the network of pumps and pipes below.
Prior to the flood, an assessment concluded the pool was in reasonable structural condition and expected to last another 10 years.
Closure ongoing: The facility has been closed since May 2025, with pool users having to travel around 15 minutes to Taree instead.
The cost: Around $15 million is needed for the repairs, which council can’t undertake until it secures state and/or federal funding.
Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the state is working closely with the council to “support their planning, assess costings and identify funding options for the necessary repairs”.