Last year the City allowed early community access to the new circular estuary pool – Kwillena Gabi Pool – just in time for Christmas.
While the full project won’t be complete and officially opened until later in 2022, the pool itself was complete enough for the City to partially remove the construction fencing and allow people to swim over the forecasted hot Christmas break.
In the lead up to Christmas, the City reassigned resources to focus on completing the enclosed natural pool in time for the festive summer season.
While the pool is now open for public use, the surrounding reserve upgrades are still being finished, including landscaping and seating. The construction area will be reduced as works are completed and it is safe to open up. Other works on the Eastern Foreshore will continue into 2022, including the replacement of the nearby toilet block which is expected to start around the middle of the year.
Kwillena Gabi (pronounced kwill-en-na gubb-ee) means ‘dolphin waters’, and was the name put forward by the traditional owners of Bindjareb Boodja. The pool features floating pontoons in a circular formation, an accessible wheelchair ramp, a maximum depth of close to 4.5m, and surrounding paved pedestrian areas integrating with the wider Eastern Foreshore space.
Visitors and swimmers are encouraged to act safely at all times and make themselves familiar with the site conditions and signage. For a limited time during the establishment phase of the pool, lifeguards will be onsite at peak periods monitoring the pool usage.
As a natural pool, there are no nets or barriers around the pool area, which ensures the pool has minimal impact on the environment and marine life and still presents a low safety risk.
Kwillena Gabi Pool forms part of the $22m Waterfront Project which has been jointly funded by Federal, State and Local Government, and will deliver a world class waterfront for people to meet, play and rest. An official opening with our funding partners will take place once the surrounding reserve upgrades are complete.
For more information about the Waterfront Project, go to mandurah.wa.gov.au/waterfront.
