The park hosts the city’s only outdoor lane pool that was built in 1958. The nearby Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre (QEYC) is a multi-court indoor facility built in 1965. Both facilities are coming to the end of their useful lives.
The QEYC was classified as high risk after a seismic investigation. The building would have needed $128m to bring it up to standard.
Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston said he grew up using the pool and courts at the central Tauranga park.
The new aquatic centre would alleviate pressure on the current facilities in the city, BayVenues operation general manager Tina Harris-Ririnui said.
Council-controlled organisation BayVenues manages Tauranga’s sport and aquatic facilities.
Harris-Ririnui said Baywave in Mount Maunganui was over capacity.
”The lap pool and all the other spaces in Bay Wave are heaving. So it is punching well above its weight.”
The biggest growth areas were water polo and synchronised swimming, which need deeper water that would be accommodated in the new facility.
”It’s going to meet the needs of structured sport. It’s going to meet the needs of leisure and recreation.
”It’s one of those pools that will enable all walks of life to utilise that pool and utilise it really, really well.
”Another pool in the council network that would soon need to be decommissioned was Ōtūmoetai.”
The new facility would replace this and better meet the needs of the community, Harris-Ririnui said.
Council staff recommended the commission choose option 3 for the aquatics centre, at a cost of $107.4m. It would have included two hydroslides and the 25m pool, which would have eight lanes outdoors with two indoors.
The commission opted instead for option 2, which had eight lanes indoors.
The playground at Memorial Park will be upgraded.
Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley wanted to add the two extra hydroslides to this option at an extra cost of $2.4m.
Projected ticket sales for three hyrdoslides was 32,064, while with one it was 21,962 in the first year of opening. The revenue for three slides would be $161,000.
As part of the $128m upgrade, $6m will be spent on enhancing parking, upgrading the play area and adding a wetland play zone, a nature play trail and a new swing area.
The open spaces would also be improved with seating and picnic areas as well as all-weather path access. A youth play zone with features for skate users would also be added to the park.
Tolley questioned what the large open green spaces were used for seeing there was “no shade”.
Council manager spaces places project outcomes Amanda Davies said it was used as passive open space and for events.
”Given the intensification that’s going to happen in the Te Papa peninsula, that open space is quite important.”
She said there would be tree planting as part of the upgrades. The new aquatic facility is expected to open in late 2027 and the cost has been budgeted into the 2021-31 long term plan.
- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air
