Ballina is a coastal township on the north coast of NSW. This stretch of the state coastline has a high incidence of shark encounters and limited accessible areas for the community to enjoy the open ocean. In 2015 the Ballina Ocean Pool Committee was formed to pursue options for an ocean pool to be sited on Shelley Beach. UNSW Water Research Lab and Nicole Larkin were engaged by the committee to investigate a number of sites and determine which was most feasible for an ocean pool to be built on.

This analysis included urban considers, the regions proximity to accessible coastal locations, safety, coastal processes and swimability of the proposed location. Five sites were considered in total by the team with a recommendation put to the committee in 2021. The project was presented to council late that year and is pending further support and funding.