Merewether Ocean Baths Pavilion

CN has committed to funding the renewal of Merewether Ocean Baths pavilion. The upgrade of the pools and promenade was completed in 2014 and now the pavilion building needs an update to continue providing use and benefit to the community. Key issues to be addressed on the site include accessibility and amenity upgrades.

Community engagement about Merewether and Newcastle Ocean Baths was undertaken over a three-month period from November 2019 to March 2020. The Newcastle and Merewether Ocean Baths Engagement Report (PDF) presents the findings from the engagement activities and summarises community sentiment, expectations and ideas relating to the two sites.

Key findings of relevance to the pavilion upgrade at Merewether Baths include:

• Broad community support for an upgrade and ongoing maintenance of the Merewether pavilion
• General view is to keep renovations simple (eg. freshly painted and other repairs/improvements)
• There was limited support for a restaurant/bar, gym or café/kiosk
• Support to upgrade and modernise general facilities including change rooms and showers
• Improve shade/shelter, seating and lockers

The feedback from the community will be used to inform the project scope.

A Community Reference Group (CRG) for the Merewether Ocean Baths pavilion will be formed at commencement of the project. The CRG will contribute to the development of options and concept designs. The concept designs developed with the CRG will be presented to the broader community for their feedback and finalised with input from the CRG and elected Council.

This process was initially scheduled to commence in 2020 however COVID-19 has impacted many projects and required resources to be allocated to managing the pandemic.

The project is scheduled to commence following completion of Newcastle Ocean Baths Stage 2 updgrade.

A map of the Merewether Ocean Baths (pdf 478kB) shows the key features of the site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Merewether pavilion be demolished to make way for redevelopment?
While there are no current plans for demolition or otherwise, the Merewether Baths Pavilion is not heritage listed.

Refer to map for Merewether Ocean Baths (pdf 478kB) to view the site.