Hunter Olympic diver Sam Fricker has launched a campaign to keep a beloved local diving facility operational, after safety concerns prompted its sudden temporary closure.
Safety Inspection Forces Sudden Shutdown
The City of Newcastle announced this week that the 62-year-old diving tower, along with the one-metre and three-metre springboards at Lambton Pool, would be temporarily closed. This decision followed an inspection by SafeWork NSW, which identified risks of falls and slips. The regulatory body issued five improvement notices to the council.
A council spokeswoman stated that community and staff safety were the top priority. "The temporary closure... follows advice received from the NSW Government, which identified serious risks to health or safety including slips or trips and falls from heights," she explained. The council must now engage an expert to conduct a risk assessment and determine the costs and measures needed for repairs.
Diving Community Left High and Dry
The closure has had an immediate and significant impact on the Hunter region's diving community. The Hunter United Diving Academy, with 70 members, is now left with only a single one-metre springboard for training. For elite athletes and beginners alike, the loss of the tower and higher boards is a major setback, especially at the start of the summer competition season.
Sam Fricker, a 23-year-old Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist who learned to dive at Lambton Pool, described the news as "terrible." "Coming into summer is when we get our best diving outdoors," Fricker said. He argued that the divers are happy to comply with new safety requests, such as adding railings, but want to continue training during the upgrade process.
"I'm devastated to hear that the pool has been cut back... Hopefully this can be sorted out very quickly," he added. His concerns were echoed by world champion cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland, who has called for the facilities to be refurbished promptly.
Calls for a Pragmatic Solution
Academy treasurer Eric Brooker, a former Olympic diving judge and chief referee, expressed frustration with the council's approach. He believes the facilities are as safe as other pools of similar standing and that risks can be managed while allowing the diving season to finish.
"Why not let us finish our program for the season and then do whatever work needs to be done in the winter?" Brooker questioned. The club had previously secured an $80,000 state government and NSW Diving grant in 2022 to upgrade the facility's boards, highlighting a long-standing commitment to improvement.
However, the City of Newcastle maintains that it cannot keep the dive tower open while hoping for the best. "Failure to restrict access would leave City of Newcastle liable in the event that an incident did occur," the spokeswoman stated. The council's focus is now on determining if the 1960s-era tower can be made safe under modern standards.
The situation leaves local athletes in limbo, caught between necessary safety protocols and the urgent need for training facilities. The outcome will depend on the speed of the council's assessment and the feasibility of implementing temporary safety measures.
