Comments made on our petition "Save the Newcastle Ocean Baths Open-Air Change Rooms"

Comment

"These change rooms are too valuable to lose to make way for an expansion of commercial interests in this historic, public place."

"I love getting changed in private, but under the sky, at Newcastle Baths"

"This is a healthy option and in keeping with the heritage of the building."

"The city is loosing to much of its heritage and these open air change rooms are part of Newcastle’s heritage."

"I want open air change rooms"

"Open air change rooms are the easiest way to avoid mould and odors where toilets, sinks and showers are present.  The fresh air and natural sunlight are a great extension to the ocean baths experience."

"Please help save and protect the uniqueness of our precious gem 💎 Newcastle Ocean Baths 🙏"

"As a regular user of the Baths, i love using the open air communal change rooms. All that lovely fresh air and sunshine is so healthy. Always nice to have a chat too.  Plus practical in other ways - more people can use the communal change room at the same time than individual cubicles in the same footprint."

"It’s all I’ve ever known coming here for over 50 years I love it , it’s so open and fresh , and if you want privacy just jump into a cubicle and shut the door ."

"Being able to get changed after a swim and let the sun and breeze on your body while you do so, and being near others doing the same or using the other facilities is a very grounding feeling. In other countries nudity is part of their culture, its part of being human. I am not a nudist. In Australia it is very rare to have any opportunity to be naked in the elements, even a lot of our own yards are not private.  The open air baths are a wonderful place stuck in time. Please find a way to keep the sun shining in."

"It’s a far better healthy and economic option to return the open air change rooms at Newcastle City Baths. This is as they were and always have been! In fact all baths should have open air change rooms. The state of the toilets at Merewether Surfhouse are appalling. No airflow at all. Cooks Hill not much better.  I refuse to use them. The Merewether Baths main change rooms have natural airflow which prevents mould and muck and helps keep the air circulating for a much healthier experience."

"Please keep the open air change rooms."

"I like the open aired change rooms"

"I love the open air change rooms - much airier and more pleasant and there are the cubicles for those who prefer privacy."

"It needs airing and sun, and so do we"

"We need to maintain the open air. The stark difference betweeh the dark dankness of the Merewether Baths change rooms with Newcastle can't be overstated"

"They maintain the unique beauty, and history of Newcastle."

"All the new development we see everywhere is rubbish. I love the Baths. Everyone does. They're lovely. Why not leave it alone?"

"Let's do what we can to save the change rooms as they're very much apart of Newcastle's history. We have already lost so much of Newcastle's history why give in and let them take away another beautiful bit of Newcastle's history!"

"I love the open air change rooms"

"The Baths are an Icon of the City. I feel that they should be kept faithfully to how they’ve always been."

"The facility is functional as it is and beautiful. The Council has wasted enough money on vanity projects."

"I'm tired of things that aren't broken being changed in the name of progress."

"Stop changing the history of this place!"

"I enjoy using the space."

"I love the open air changerooms. The arrangement is fine as it is. It just needs freshening up."

"You cannot destroy the wonderful open air change rooms. They are simple, unique and open to nature. They form part of the social fabric of Novocastrian women. Just value the change rooms and keep a thread of Newcastle history. This city will have no character!"

"The open air changerooms are a unique part of the bathes. It will become stuffy, uncomfortable during summer. Revamp yes close it in NO !"

"The fresh air and open space males this truly unique and special."

"These change rooms still provide privacy for changing with a beautiful open fresh air environment. Why wasting money to replace something that isn’t broken."

"The experience of Newcastle City Council’s embarrassing attempt at renovating Nobby’s Pavilion by eradicating change rooms in favour of 5 toilet cubicles for each female and male patrons, must be avoided especially for the Heritage site that is the Newcastle Ocean Baths. The Council has displayed an alarming lack of understanding of how the public enjoys and needs these facilities and an inability to engage with any member of the public who disagrees with Council’ s decision. Unhappily petitions and protests are the only way to get Council”s attention about these matters. One must wonder what Council,s hidden agenda might be annd why a closed and  roofed specification was in the brief sent to the consultant."

"All the ideas put forward in the Report make sense."

"I liked the Old open changing rooms. They were part of the character of the baths"

"We love the open air changerooms just as they are."

"For reasons of social amenity, public heritage, hygiene and cleanliness, the change rooms at Newcastle Ocean Baths must always remain open air. There is no built alternative to blue sky and fresh air."

"The open air change rooms allows sunlight (and rain) into the light and airy space. It is a delight to have these iconic changerooms available to the public"

"I like changing in the open air instead of a dank dark shed."

"I visit Newcastle from USA for 4 months every year.. mostly to swim in the Baths. It is DISMAYING to see the council may renovate with “a feeling” of open air. Why not OPEN AIR? Keep change rooms OPEN AIR! Please 🙏"

"I believe in the benefits of an open air bathroom for the safety of our community."

"Inclusive open air environment and option of privacy. Health benefits."

"I understand what is required by the people who actually use the pool , not the people sitting at council who don’t. Please listen to the ratepayers !"

"It's a unique place, without the roof it's like being outdoors. It helps the change room feel safe because it's open."

"This is an iconic part of beach culture in Newcastle and is much more cost & environmentally efficient to maintain as opposed to a new building."

"These change rooms are very useful  for everyone."

"I love the ocean baths change rooms as they are"

"Keep open air"

"Keeping the open-air change rooms is a no-brainer !"

"We need these baths"

"If you go there and experience it, you will know why I'm signing."

"These change rooms are iconic. They should be heritage listed and maintained as they are."

"I regularly use the baths and change rooms. Open air is cleaner and does aid in the reduction of mould and dampness"

"I have used those change rooms. They are unique. They foster local community, friendliness and are an example of newcastles historic culture that is being lost to corporatisation."

"The open-air change rooms are a vital part of the baths' history. They are unique from a social and historical perspective."

"Because we love our open air change room, they are a part of the history of the Newy Ocean Bathes"

"The open air change rooms are brilliant, unique and functional. Please keep them even with a clear riof they would be wonderful"

"Newcastle is my home town."

"I'm a regular user at the Baths and I personally find the current , roomy open air fantastic  , there's plenty of room for everyone even when it's busy , cubicles would not be sensible at all.Open air is easily maintained  , stops waiting and over crowding and keeps the original feel.Please  listen to what the people want not some minority sitting in an office.  Thank you Michael J Watson"

"Please preserve the unique heritage of this community space."

"One of the many places left in "our town" that spans generations and memories  Leave it as authentic as possible  💚🙏"

"Im a long time Ncle  beach 'bars girl and still do laps ,freq, for fitness. Im v/proud of Ncle, the beaches, cleanliness and water.it keeps you young,  and makes you  laugh, too see young people ,with no history past of Ncle, and our Hunter st Shops back in the day,Wehad a great ,free  life as anyone will tell you. So come on Newy sign up ,save your, pool and for your kids, G' kids. COME ON AUSSIE COME ON"

"So love coming here with the winter sunshine warming as I change. No need for a roof"

"I love old outdoor change rooms! They are so full of character"

"The open air change rooms work perfectly now. Why change them!!! They are safer and more hygienic."

"Fresh bright airy change rooms are healthy!"

"Open air change rooms are healthy and pleasant, as well as being an important heritage feature of the Baths"

"we must protect the unique open air facilities and heritage of our incredible Newcastle ocean baths."

"I want Newcastle council to keep the open air change rooms. Great for mental and physical health for the people using the baths. They are iconic and need to be saved for now and future generations."

"It's a beautiful change area, that does have some covered areas."

"save our historic beach 🙌"

"Classic Chesterton's fence principle...  "Chesterton's fence" is the principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the existing state of affairs is understood.  Chesterton's wrote in 1929   "In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away." To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it."[101] <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton</a>"

"This is the wish of the community."

"Fresh air is good to prevent viral transmission. It stops the rooms from smelling and it’s nice to get changed in the sun"

"Having it open keeps us connected to the elements"

"The heritage and communal aspect should be preserved."

"We have so few ocean baths and this one is iconic!"

"At 63 I have decades of memories of this place. It’s so comforting, to dry yourself AND enjoy the heat of the sun at the same time. Less mould, mildew and foul odours too."

"liv"

"The baths are beautiful, please keep the change rooms as they are"

"Fresh air in the changing rooms, not like the daggy ones at Merewether."

"come ( ****)or high water"

"Surely not. They seam to get the modern bathrooms wrong more often than not. This one is great as is please don’t change it"

"This common sense petition speaks for itself. It is the decent thing to do."

"Love the baths. Restoration so far is wonderful. Maintain the heritage !!!!"

"Please keep the change rooms open air. The people who use the pools love them this way. If visitors find it too inclement to use open air change rooms they certainly won’t be swimming in the ocean pools. Ocean pool swimmers love open air change rooms."