The City of Launceston Council says it is hopeful the Cataract Gorge First Basin pool will be opened for Christmas. Due to the severe flooding in mid-October, the pool's usual opening for the November long weekend was delayed. Water levels swamped the pool from the heavy rain which flooded the South Esk River. READ MORE: Newsagencies see customers and community dig deep for those in need City of Launceston mayor Danny Gibson said there had been challenges beyond the council's control in efforts to re-open the pool. "We are still hopeful of having the pool open in time for Christmas," he said. "Water levels in the South Esk River through the Cataract Gorge have fallen enough this week for us to begin emptying the First Basin pool of floodwaters." READ MORE: Beerfest plans to end 2022 with a bang along Tamar River Cr Gibson said the pool had been inundated by floodwaters several times this year, similar to what occurred in 2016. "We expect to finish draining the pool this week and then to begin the process of refilling the pool and undertaking water treatment to bring the water quality up to swimming standards," he said. "As we are already well into December, and to avoid further delays, the council has opted not to repaint the pool this season." Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: