$120K for Waipawa Pool revamp

NZCT recently awarded Central Hawke's Bay District Council a grant of $120,000 for the revamp of the Waipawa swimming pool. Photo / File

NZCT, the NZ Community Trust, recently awarded Central Hawke's Bay District Council a grant of $120,000 towards the redevelopment of the Waipawa Centennial Memorial Pool.

The contribution to the redevelopment would give a massive boost in the early stages of fundraising for the project.

Chief executive Monique Davidson said in December 2017, the council held a community meeting with over 150 people attending.

"This was in support of the key role that the Waipawa Pool plays in providing access to clean, accessible and safe swimming and active recreation in the Central Hawke's Bay community.

"As a result of this support, we committed at the public meeting that this would be included in the Long-Term Plan for urgent consideration," she said.

Davidson said NZCT was the first trust to support the unique project for the community and that made them an important foundation founder.

"NZCT's contribution to stage 1 of the Waipawa and District Centennial Memorial Pool redevelopment will result in a new 25-metre pool and recreation/learn to swim pool being installed.

"While the Council continues to work in the background preparing for construction, the Community Project Reference Group are hard at work fundraising the remaining community funds for the next stage."

Late last year, the Central Hawke's Bay District Council finance and planning committee recommended that $650,000 be included in the first year of the 2018-2028 draft long term plan (LTP) to put towards renewing the facility for the benefit of the Central Hawke's Bay district as a whole.

The 33m council-owned, non-heated pool opened in 1962, and was due to be repainted for the summer season, when significant age-related cracks and defects were found in the concrete and plaster.

Investigations into the future of the pool were already under way before the damage was discovered.

Asked how long it may take to get the pool up and running if the $650,000 was included in the draft LTP, Davidson said if it was approved and some creative procurement processes put in place, it could potentially open next summer.