Ocean pools have a rich history in Australia and continue to be a focal points within our local coastal communities. Approximately 60 ocean pools remain in use today in NSW, each overseen, conserved and maintained by councils or communities up and down the coast. As assets they can be fragile and complex to manage. They are challenged by storm events and are susceptible to the effects of sea level rise. However they are also iconic and well loved by local communities who advocate for the conservation of these structures.

The preponderance of ocean pools in NSW has furnished councils and asset managers with extensive knowledge on caring for and maintaining these unique assets. As our ocean pools approach the end of their structural design life this initiative looks to bring together knowledge on restoring, maintaining and future-proofing these iconic assets. The workshop will provide an overview of knowledge and experiences from stakeholders working on ocean pools in NSW to discuss best practices in asset management and conservation.

Workshop outcomes include sharing practice-based knowledge and experiences across a wide range of challenges associated with ocean pools. Topics will focus on critical issues which are commonly encountered ranging from technical to strategic, to funding and all topics in between. Following the workshop, strategies and case studies discussed will be collated and circulated to attendees. The event is intended to connect stakeholders for ocean pools throughout NSW, Australia and internationally and provide an opportunity for ongoing knowledge sharing with industry experts.

The round table will be chaired by James Carley, Principal Coastal Engineer with UNSW Water Research Lab. The event is organised by Nicole Larkin, a Sydney-based architect whose practice focuses on ocean pools in NSW. Her publication ‘The Wild Edge’ is a survey of NSW’s ocean pools and a best practice design guide. The guide is freely available for download from this website.