City of Newcastle will formally apply to list the Newcastle Ocean Baths on the State Heritage Register, lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes says.
The commitment comes after she wrote to the responsible minister, Don Harwin, requesting he consider elevating the facility from local heritage status by placing it on the state register.
Cr Nelmes wrote to the minister on the eve of the council election amid increasing community advocacy for the baths to have state-heritage protection.
Community group Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths had written to the lord mayor back in March asking her to write to Minister Harwin "demonstrating City of Newcastle's support" for a state register nomination.
The group, which was established in recent years after the council explored the potential long-term lease and redevelopment of the baths' pavilion, did not hear back from the lord mayor but was informed by her deputy Declan Clausen of her letter to Mr Harwin at a private election forum last month.
Cr Nelmes told the Newcastle Herald she could not recall the group's March letter, but said the time was now right to apply for state-heritage listing given work will begin early next year to refurbish the baths' pools and concourse.
"I made formal representations to the minister responsible for heritage ... in November after the council meeting where the importance of the heritage protection was discussed," she said.
"I have advised the minister that with stage-one works to begin in the new year, I believe it would be timely to list the [Newcastle] ocean baths on the State Heritage Register to ensure its ongoing preservation and protection for our community."
In a response to questions directed to Minister Harwin's office, a Heritage NSW spokesperson said: "Minister Harwin's office received the letter on 23 November 2021 and a response is being prepared to encourage the lord mayor to submit a formal nomination so it may be considered by the Heritage Council of NSW."
"Heritage NSW has not received a State Heritage Listing nomination form for the Newcastle Ocean Baths," the spokesperson said.
Cr Nelmes said on Friday she was yet to receive the response but the council would submit a nomination.
Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths spokesperson Tony Brown said the community group would like to have "significant input" towards the nomination. "It must cover not just the facade, but the sense of place," he said. "We want to work with council to ensure it embraces the cultural aspects that make it the most iconic place in the region."
In the group's letter to the lord mayor, it outlined its concern that the facility did not have the state status.
"Most Novocastrians are surprised to learn that the ocean baths and canoe pool are not protected by a listing on the State Heritage Register alongside other Newcastle icons; Nobbys, Fort Scratchley, and Christchurch Cathedral," it said.
"As witnessed by the demolition of The Store, listing on Newcastle's [Local Environmental Plan] as an item of local significance, does not ensure conservation."
The council is yet to begin work on designing the baths' pavilion and upper concourse upgrade. It accepted a $13.7 million tender from Daracon to refurbish the pool and lower concourse in October. GHD was awarded a $609,000 contract to design those upgrades in 2020.
Newcastle Ocean Baths, including its car park, is expected to close in March for at least a year for the stage-one works.
