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Thursday April 30, 2026 
20 April 2025
An independent program analysis has warned that the long-delayed redevelopment of the North Sydney Olympic Pool may not reach practical completion until late November 2025—more than 16 months after the revised contractual deadline of 11 July 2024 and five months later than a mid-year completion date envisaged just a matter of months ago.
North Sydney councillors were briefed on the CPM Pty Ltd analysis in mid-March. The report cited the current rate of construction progress, task slippage and levels of onsite attendance as reasons for its forecast. Despite this, contractor Icon is still officially targeting a practical completion date of 30 August 2025.
Council maintains that total project costs remain within the current $122m forecast to completion, with the construction contract sum now revised to $91.8m. However, Icon has submitted over $140m in variation claims to date—including 435 formal submissions and another 111 flagged but not yet lodged. A further 20 new claims have been received since Council’s last update in March, and 72 remain under assessment. The original contract was priced at around $64 million.
The project has also attracted 159 extension of time claims and 1,855 Requests for Information, of which 59 remain open. Council attributes the volume of claims and queries to the “construct-only” nature of the contract, latent conditions, and unresolved design and coordination issues.
CPM, which prepared the schedule analysis presented to councillors on 17 March, has been engaged since late 2023 to advise on programming and delay claims. Council will now consider extending CPM’s contract by $115,000 to 30 August 2025, bringing total expenditure to $296,000—above the public tender threshold. The extension will be made under extenuating circumstances provisions in the Local Government Act 1993, citing CPM’s extensive knowledge of the project and involvement in assessing all 159 time-related claims.
Council will also consider extending the contracts of APP Group ($249,000), Brewster Hjorth Architects ($660,000) and legal firm Sparke Helmore ($90,000) through to 30 August 2025 under the same provisions. APP has been particularly active in advising on adjudication proceedings brought by Icon under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999, and continues to assist with ongoing legal action against BHA in the NSW Supreme Court.
Council has also flagged the need to extend works insurance beyond the current 30 June 2025 expiry date. This coverage was not included in the original budget but is now funded from a contingency allocation approved in November 2024.
Finally, project delays may jeopardise the final $100,000 of a NSW Office of Sport grant, which must be acquitted before 30 June 2025. Council said discussions with the state government are ongoing.