Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths (FONOB) have criticised City of Newcastle's approach to Stage 2 works, claiming council documents show enclosing the change rooms and commercial expansion were 'baked in from the start'. Seven technical reports prepared for the council between 2023 and 2024, used to shape the Stage 2 proposal for the state heritage-listed baths, were obtained through a formal GIPA request.
FONOB president Peter Wickham said a review of the documents found 'no evidence' for enclosing the change rooms and that there was not a 'single option' that kept the main change areas entirely open to the sky. 'From the 2023 user needs analysis through the 2024 concept design, the so-called open-air option was still partly roofed, and the preferred concepts are fully enclosed,' he said. 'This shift occurred even though the council's own 2025 consultation report recorded strong community support for keeping the change rooms open to the sky.'
In September, more than 2000 people signed a petition to keep the open-air change rooms. At the time, some councillors felt the council should listen to the views of petitioners and incorporate open-air change rooms into the final design, while others felt issues of safety, privacy, and accessibility were equally important. The council's 2023 Stage 1 community consultation report included outcomes of a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) investigation, which determined there was a 'higher crime risk' with open-air facilities due to the ability to access the area undetected after hours. It also found open-air facilities have 'no means' of controlling, detecting, or inhibiting the use of drones, meaning patrons, including children, could be at risk of being targeted by unauthorised surveillance.
A CN spokeswoman said the council remained committed to delivering a facility that is safe, functional, and balances competing needs. 'We have been consulting with the community about this project for more than a decade and acknowledge there are a range of strong and diverse views both for and against the introduction of a roof over the amenities,' she said. 'Open-air change rooms were not developed or presented as part of the concept design because they do not meet contemporary standards for public safety, accessibility, and amenity.'
Mr Wickham questioned the CPTED analysis, stating: 'Council's own GIPA-released documents show that the so-called CPTED analysis used regional crime data covering the whole Newcastle local government area, not the baths. None of the maps identify a single incident at the site, and no CPTED or crime experts were engaged.' The development application (DA) for Stage 2 is expected to be submitted later this month. The council spokeswoman said the DA will include design changes influenced by community consultation and advice from experts and Heritage NSW. 'The design delivers a solution that prioritises open-air amenity through natural ventilation and maximised natural lighting,' she said. 'The facility's new roof will also protect the much-loved facade, sheltering the structure from the harsh coastal environment.'
Mr Wickham said every architectural drawing showed enclosed buildings with large cafe footprints and no open-air alternatives. 'These aren't neutral studies; they show that enclosure and commercial expansion were baked in from the start,' he said. An assessment on change room layout options shows heritage was weighed at 15 per cent, while security was given 20 per cent, and child safety and privacy 35 per cent. The council spokeswoman said it has the 'difficult job' of balancing community opinions with safety, accessibility, technical, environmental, operational, and heritage considerations. 'While not all community members will agree with every aspect of the design, we remain committed to a transparent, inclusive and evidence-based process that will deliver a fit-for-purpose facility, which meets the needs of our whole community for many years to come,' she said.
Ahead of the release of the Stage 2 DA, FONOB is calling for independent reviews to be undertaken. Mr Wickham said the process to date has 'lacked proper evidence and transparency'. 'People will make their own judgements, and they will have their say knowing the documentation has been flawed from the start,' he said.
