Cool pool in hot water

Pt Erin Pools have views to die for, but years of neglect have tarnished their appeal, reports Jacqueline Smith
The views from the ageing Pt Erin Pools will take your breath away if the chill of the outdoor pool doesn't. Perched at the edge of St Marys Bay with views across Waitemata Harbour and the city's famous bridge, the complex is one of a handful of outdoor pools in Auckland city. Pt Erin is a novelty and on prime real estate. But its facilities are slowly crumbling. A decade ago, engineers and builders recommended the pool should be upgraded by 2000. That was pushed back to 2005. Two weeks ago, the new council deferred the project until 2013. Matt Pollard thinks they'll be lucky if anything's done by 2015. He's managed the pool for three years and now works privately in the pool industry. As a consultant, he's visited every pool in Auckland. Pt Erin may be in the best suburb, but it's in the worst state, he says. The changing rooms can't have been upgraded since the pools opened in the 1960s apart from a splash of paint, he says. There is no hot water in the hand basins, cubicles are unmanageably small and the concrete is cracked. The spa pool is also cracked and has not been used this season. Good thing though, because the filter system can't cope with the demand. "Put 40 people in and the water turns a murky brown," says Mr Pollard. It's obvious the ground is moving under the pool. Tiles are popping up and landslips on the boundary have already taken down pohutukawa trees. Mr Pollard says he's noticed a drop in the number of people using the pool in the time he's managed it. "Locals would rather get in their cars and go to Parnell baths." The nearest pool to Pt Erin is the Tepid Baths in Customs St, "where you can't have a swim without paying upwards of $10 for parking". Councillor Douglas Armstrong, chairman of the finance and strategy committee at Auckland City Council, says every item is up for review and only those that are very high priority can be expected to proceed.