Editorial: Leisure Island may not be a goer

One story that caught my eye over the past week was the campaign to Bring Back Leisure Island Pools.

On Thursday, we carried the story of how 537 people "liked" the campaign's Facebook page.

Leisure Island was open for about a decade and included bumper boats, hot and cold pools, and a waterslide.

It closed and the island, properly known as Moturiki Island, was restored to its natural state. There is strong support to change this if feedback online and from text messages is anything to go by. But is this the right thing to do? And will it happen?

A new-look Leisure Island on Moturiki would be a fantastic facility for Western Bay people. It would provide another option for a fun, family day out and another reason for tourists to visit.

Too often I hear people say there is nothing really here for tourists, a claim I don't entirely agree with. We have fantastic beaches, fishing, scenery, and events such as the Jazz Festival.

Tourism is crucial for the Western Bay, and already worth $450 million a year. A record 82 cruise ships are expected to have berthed here between October and early next month - an increase of 34 per cent on the 54 in 2010/11.

Up to 184,000 passengers and crew are expected to have spent nearly $30 million in the local economy this season. Next season is shaping to be even bigger, with more than 100 ships.

How do we ensure they stay in the Bay? A new pools facility on Leisure Island would provide them and other tourists with another reason to stop here and spend money. It would also provide employment and pump money back into the community.

But Tourism Bay of Plenty chief Glen Ormsby believes Moturiki is a "fantastic attraction" in its natural state. He has a point.

It would seem a shame to put buildings and other structures on it. And who would build it? I doubt the council is interested.

The idea is interesting, but I can't see it happening.