Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Last ditch effort to save Hamilton's municipal pools

Tom Rowland
By Tom Rowland
Hamilton News·
7 Apr, 2019 10:29 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A concept design of a refurbished Municipal Pool. Image / Design Engine Architects

A concept design of a refurbished Municipal Pool. Image / Design Engine Architects

Hamilton's Municipal Pools is in a final battle for survival, hoping city councillors will throw it a lifeline by putting the $1 million earmarked for demolition costs towards a revamp and reopening.

The century-old outdoor swimming pool in Victoria St was closed in June 2012 because of structural and safety issues.

In February, the city council lodged an application to demolish the pools and is currently working through the process of hearing submissions from the public and other interested groups.

Tuesday's HCC community and services committee meeting heard from the lobby group Sink or Swim which is asking for council to use the $1 million cost of demolishing, and returning the park to green space, with other public funding, to reopen the pool.

The group has even had concept designs for what a refurbished Municipal Pool could look like created by Design Engine Architect.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Spokeswoman for the group, Katherine Luketina, told the meeting the Municipal Pool is what the community wants, and the council should be supporting it.

"Outdoor swimming is a favoured type of activity during summer, and in an inland city where we don't have safe swimming in the river, we need to consider that with infill housing and more development, putting a facility back where it has already been, the million dollars will be better spent giving the community what it wants, rather than demolishing."

Councillor Dave Macpherson asked if councillors had been asked what they wanted to go into the staff submission as part of the hearings for the demolition of the pool.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I'm trying to figure out when councillors will get a chance to have a say on what
happens," Mr Macpherson said.

"Where and when will we get our input?"

Deputy chief executive Lance Vervoort said a timeline would be sent out to councillors on if, and when they could have a say.

Of the 31 submissions made to council over the fate of the pools, only one was in support of its demolition.

One submitter, Dr Dot Smyth, said she had been swimming at the pools since she arrived from South Africa in 1994.

"I live in south Hamilton and find this pool easier to access than Gallaghers which has too few lanes and often lanes are used for inflatables," Mrs Smyth said.

"Historic buildings (like the municipal pools) do not usually gain easy resource consent for demolition.

"In my work it is important to promote health and fitness, not demolish it."

Another submitter, Gail Jonson, who was a NZ swim representative at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, said the pools were suited for many members of the community.

"There are not many other pools like it in New Zealand — it is a historic place — and should be cherished and not demolished," Ms Jonson said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Learning to swim is a basic that all New Zealanders should have. I do not see the benefit of turning this facility into a green zone as an opportunity to have learn this life saving skill."

Because of the submissions, a demolition consent hearing could be held by an independent commissioner, the process could take up to six months.

Hamilton City Council is looking to construct a new swimming pool, with the help of private partnership, at the proposed Rototuna Town centre in the north east of Hamilton.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Waikato Herald

Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo

02 Jul 06:43 AM
Waikato Herald

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

02 Jul 05:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title
Waikato Herald

Rangitīkei fencer regains Golden Pliers title

02 Jul 06:00 PM

The 49-year-old had to miss four years of action following a shoulder injury in 2017.

Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo
Waikato Herald

Enraged 'mistress' kills innocent motorist while chasing man's wife over family photo

02 Jul 06:43 AM
Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade
Waikato Herald

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

02 Jul 05:00 AM
Heavy rain expected for Tongariro National Park
Waikato Herald

Heavy rain expected for Tongariro National Park

02 Jul 12:53 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP