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Pool resurfacing in Toormina and Boambee East

Toormina grew from 1980s subdivisions and has the lowest median household income in the Coffs Coast set. Boambee East is mostly separate houses. Census facts, a landlord angle and what to ask before a pool is resurfaced.

For pool resurfacing in Toormina and Boambee East, we pass your enquiry to a local contractor, who carries out the work. These two suburbs sit side by side, have about 11,500 people between them and differ in ways that matter to a pool owner or landlord. This page gives the census facts, a secondary account of how Toormina grew, and the questions to ask before work starts.

Pool resurfacing in Toormina: the 2021 Census

The ABS counted 6,171 people in Toormina at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 45 (ABS QuickStats for Toormina). There were 2,782 private dwellings, of which 2,493 were occupied. Of homes, 65.1 per cent were separate houses, 29.9 per cent were owned outright and 33.5 per cent were rented. Hospitals led employment at 6.0 per cent, followed by aged care residential services at 4.4 per cent.

Toormina had the lowest median weekly household income in the set of places we cover, and it was below the median for the Coffs Harbour council area. That is an ABS 2021 figure and an affordability signal, not a pool signal.

Pool resurfacing in Boambee East: housing and work

Boambee East had 5,304 people, with a median age of 42 (ABS QuickStats for Boambee East). There were 2,171 private dwellings, 2,033 of them occupied. Of homes, 86.7 per cent were separate houses, 35.3 per cent were owned outright and 25.1 per cent were rented. Hospitals led employment at 6.5 per cent, ahead of supermarkets at 4.0 per cent. Median household income was above the council area median.

At the 2021 CensusToorminaBoambee East
People6,1715,304
Median age4542
Private dwellings2,7822,171
Occupied dwellings2,4932,033
Separate houses65.1 per cent86.7 per cent
Owned outright29.9 per cent35.3 per cent
Rented33.5 per cent25.1 per cent
Household income, against the council area medianLowest in the set, belowAbove

Toormina is more mixed in housing. Boambee East is closer to a suburb of separate houses, with a lower rented share and a larger share of homes owned outright. Neither set of figures counts pools.

How Toormina grew

Wikipedia, a secondary source, says Toormina is about 11 km south of Coffs Harbour and was developed in the 1980s through new subdivisions to the west of Sawtell (Wikipedia entry for Toormina). It adds that the Toormina Gardens shopping centre was built in the 1980s and that Hogbin Drive links the suburb to Coffs Harbour.

A mid-blue fibreglass pool in a suburban backyard, its gelcoat smooth except for a faded, slightly chalky band along the waterline and step edge, with palm fronds hanging over the coping in clear light.
A fibreglass shell with a faded waterline band, illustrating one surface covered for Toormina and Boambee East.

We do not infer pool ages from subdivision dates. A suburb that was developed in one decade can have pools built, renovated and resurfaced in any year since, and no source we found says which. Ask the owner or the contractor what is on the pool now.

Comparing written quotes

Toormina's median income is the lowest in the set, an affordability signal, so careful comparison is worth the effort. NSW Government pages say to get more than one written quote and not to pay any money without a written contract (NSW contractor check page). Two quotes can describe different jobs, so compare scope line by line: what is removed, which finish and product, whether tiles and coping are in, and how the pool is emptied. The cost guide explains what moves the price and gives a checklist. This page gives no prices.

Two written quotes can describe two different jobs, so compare them line by line.

Landlords in Toormina and Boambee East

A third of Toormina homes were rented, and a quarter of Boambee East homes. The NSW Swimming Pool Register page says a certificate of registration and a certificate of compliance, or an occupation certificate, are needed to lease (NSW Swimming Pool Register information). Coffs Harbour City Council's page says a compliance certificate is valid for three years while the barrier is unchanged (council pool page). The page does not address resurfacing an existing pool. If the work touches the gate, fence or coping, ask the council or a certifier first.

Fibreglass pools and the rest

If the pool is fibreglass, the job is not the same as on a concrete shell: the fibreglass page explains why. We have no count of fibreglass pools in either suburb. For concrete pools, see the pebblecrete and quartz page and the renovation and retiling page.

NSW Government pages list pool surfacing and surface coatings inside the swimming pool repairs and servicing category and say a licence or certificate is needed for that category. Check the contractor's category and expiry on the NSW licence check, and read the licence, contract and warranty page. Ask the council before the pool is emptied: see the draining and dust page. The adjoining suburb of Sawtell is covered on the Sawtell and Boambee page, and the home page covers the whole coast.

What this page cannot tell you

It cannot tell you how many pools there are in Toormina or Boambee East, how old they are or how many are fibreglass or concrete. The 1980s development account comes from a secondary source and tells you nothing about any pool. The income comparison describes households in 2021, not the cost of any job. It cannot say whether the council requires approval to resurface an existing pool, because its pool page does not address that. Census figures are from 2021 and may have changed. Ask the council and the contractor.

Written November 2026

Check the current rules before you rely on this

This page describes Toormina and Boambee East, using census figures, one secondary source on how Toormina grew and the council and register pages. It describes the rules in general terms as they stood in November 2026. Standards, forms, thresholds and fines change.

The authoritative sources are ABS 2021 Census QuickStats, Toormina (suburb), ABS 2021 Census QuickStats, Boambee East (suburb), Wikipedia, Toormina, New South Wales (secondary source), NSW Swimming Pool Register, information and Coffs Harbour City Council, swimming pool approval and safety requirements. Where anything here differs from those sources, they are right and we are not.

We are not pool contractors, builders, regulators or lawyers. For what applies to your job, ask the contractor which licence or certificate they hold and check it on the NSW licence check, then ask Building Commission NSW (13 27 00). Ask Coffs Harbour City Council about emptying the pool, registration and the pool barrier, and SafeWork NSW about dust and chemicals.

Accurate at the time of writing, November 2026. Always check the source before relying on it.

Questions

Common questions

Does Toormina have older pools because of the 1980s subdivisions?

We cannot say. Wikipedia says Toormina was developed in the 1980s through new subdivisions, but ABS gives no pool counts or ages and no source we found dates the pools. Pools can be built or resurfaced in any year, so ask the owner or the contractor what is on yours.

How many people live in Toormina and Boambee East together?

At the 2021 Census Toormina had 6,171 people and Boambee East had 5,304, which is about 11,500 together. Toormina is the larger by population, and Boambee East has the higher share of separate houses at 86.7 per cent against 65.1 per cent.

What share of homes are rented in Toormina and Boambee East?

At the 2021 Census 33.5 per cent of Toormina homes and 25.1 per cent of Boambee East homes were rented. A certificate of registration and a certificate of compliance, or an occupation certificate, are needed to lease a property with a pool.

Does a lower household income in Toormina change how I compare quotes?

ABS 2021 data shows Toormina with the lowest median household income in the set. That is an affordability signal, not a pool signal. Get more than one written quote, compare scope line by line and do not pay any money without a written contract.

Where do I start if my Toormina pool is fibreglass and looks faded?

Start with the fibreglass page, which explains how a fibreglass shell differs from a concrete one and why recoating compatibility matters. A faded or chalky band at the waterline is a sign to get assessed. Ask what is under the existing finish and which product is proposed.

How far is Toormina from the city?

Wikipedia says Toormina is about 11 km south of Coffs Harbour and that Hogbin Drive links it to the city. It is a secondary source, so treat the distance as approximate. The pool advice on this page applies to any Coffs Coast address.

Is Boambee East mostly houses or units?

Mostly houses. At the 2021 Census 86.7 per cent of Boambee East dwellings were separate houses, the second-highest share among the suburbs we cover. ABS gives no pool counts, so the figure suggests backyards without saying how many have pools.

What should I check before a contractor starts on my pool?

Check the contractor's licence category and expiry on the NSW licence check, and ask Building Commission NSW on 13 27 00 if unsure. Ask for the product data sheet, how dust is controlled, how the pool is emptied, written warranty terms and written start-up instructions.

Next step

Send a photo of the pool and a suburb

The suburb, the pool type, the current finish and a photo of the pool. That is usually enough for a price range before anyone visits.