"The kids are excited about the hydroslides. It will be great because we could go as a family."
Auckland Council's Strategy and Finance Committee has approved a recommendation to include $3 million in the draft Long Term Plan (2012-22) for the completion of the Albany Aquatic Complex.
Upper Harbour Local Board chair Brian Neeson says this was the board's number one project and means the area is set to get its first council-provided swimming pool.
"Initially, we were concerned when we saw no numbers for the pool had appeared in the mayor's plans so, when we made a submission to council, we emphasised the importance of it," says Mr Neeson.
"This northwest corridor is one of the places a pool is really needed. We're ecstatic and very thankful. We're looking at a community aquatic centre similar to West Wave in Henderson."
A legacy project from the former North Shore City Council, the likely location for the facility is next to Albany's North Harbour Stadium.
North Shore City Council was split over whether the pool should be at Massey University or on council-owned land at North Harbour Stadium, a division that stalled progress on the pool for several years.
Upper Harbour Local Board deputy chair Margaret Miles, a former North Shore City councillor, says residents have been asking for a pool since the 1990s. "Analysis and needs assessment was done and it was quickly recognised there was a very real lack of facilities," Mrs Miles says, adding that the project soon gained traction and, in 2006, the North Harbour Stadium site was chosen and 2010 marked as the completion date.
"Then when Andrew Williams got in as mayor he decided to revisit it and redo evaluations at a cost of $1.5 million."
Massey University was considered as an alternative but the review reaffirmed the stadium site. "It was an extremely frustrating waste of money," says Mrs Miles.
"So now we're absolutely delighted that Auckland Council has seen fit to put the money in for a pool.
"It's been a passionate project and it should have been in operation by now."
Pinehill School principal Julien LeSueur says secured funding for the facility is cause for celebration. "We've been waiting a long time for this. We built our school in 1996 and were led to believe the arrival of the aquatic centre was imminent."
The school uses the Millennium Institute and the Hilton Brown learn-to-swim pool for lessons and travels to the Stanmore Bay leisure centre for swimming sports.
"Having this public facility close to the school is going to be a real asset so we're over the moon about it.
"There's a paucity of community facilities in this area despite its rampant population growth."
Mr Neeson says the complex will have a catchment of 75,000 people within a 5km radius. The estimated overall cost for the centre is around $17 million.
But the cost of fun is priceless to Jemma, who jumps excitedly in the air at her mother's suggestion of hydroslides.
'We'll be able to bike there from our house," she beams.
Other regions are taking some heart from the news about Albany. Earlier this year the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board was awarded $200,000 in funding to start on plans for a swimming pool in Otahuhu. Expected to open within three years, the pool will cost $20 million to complete. For years, Avondale has also been promised a pool but in 2008, the former Auckland City Council deferred funding beyond 10 years. It's not clear if that might change under the new council.
Detailed design and construction time frames have not yet been decided for Albany, and are subject to final confirmation of the budget in the Long Term Plan, which is expected to be finalised in June.
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