Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

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 / Hawkes Bay Today

Hastings’ Frimley Pools closing, to be replaced by grass

Hawkes Bay Today
17 Mar, 2026 11:59 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Work is set to begin decommissioning Frimley Pools in Hastings.

Work is set to begin decommissioning Frimley Pools in Hastings.

A Hastings pool complex is about to be filled with something much harder than water.

Hastings District Council said work decommissioning the former Frimley Pools began this week.

The Frimley Park complex, built in 1967, had seen a drop in visitor numbers, with 15,400 visits in the 2018/19 summer season to fewer than 5000 visits in 2022/23.

The council said the drop meant it was costing ratepayers on average nearly $26 to subsidise every visit.

Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said the decision to close the pools reflected the council’s ongoing need to manage ratepayers’ money responsibly.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“[With] other aquatic facilities across the district still operating at around 50% capacity even on peak days, it was no longer responsible to continue investing in the complex.

“Importantly, the site will remain public recreation space, so while this chapter is closing, the area will continue to have a place for families to make memories for generations to come.”

The council looked for groups interested in taking over the complex in 2025, but no proposals moved forward.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As a result, the council is removing the pool’s infrastructure while keeping certain areas so the section of the park could remain open for future opportunities.

Works include removing the 50m, learner and toddler pools and associated paved areas, sheds, shade sails, barbecue, seating and basketball hoop.

The pools would be filled with concrete, fill, gravel and topsoil before the area is grassed.

The land would remain public recreation space, protected as Recreation Reserve land under the Reserves Act, meaning it could not be sold or developed for residential or commercial use.

No notable trees in Frimley Park would be affected by the work.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Frimley Park remains open throughout the work, with works confined to a fenced area.

The main buildings, grandstand and fencing would be retained so the site could be considered for future uses.

Work takes place Monday to Friday between 7am and 5pm over six weeks, weather permitting, with some Saturday morning work between 7am and midday if required.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Nine arrested as Hawke’s Bay gang operation seizes guns, cash and drugs

05 May 09:21 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

Man named after fatal crash in Central Hawke’s Bay

05 May 08:32 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

From teen lock-up to Central League: Fenton's long road to Napier City Rovers

05 May 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Future of wealth in NZ: A conversation with ASB CEO Vittoria Shortt

03 May 11:20 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Nine arrested as Hawke’s Bay gang operation seizes guns, cash and drugs
Hawkes Bay Today

Nine arrested as Hawke’s Bay gang operation seizes guns, cash and drugs

Police seized 17 firearms, ammunition and more than $30,000 cash.

05 May 09:21 PM
Man named after fatal crash in Central Hawke’s Bay
Hawkes Bay Today

Man named after fatal crash in Central Hawke’s Bay

05 May 08:32 PM
From teen lock-up to Central League: Fenton's long road to Napier City Rovers
Hawkes Bay Today

From teen lock-up to Central League: Fenton's long road to Napier City Rovers

05 May 05:00 PM


Future of wealth in NZ: A conversation with ASB CEO Vittoria Shortt
Sponsored

Future of wealth in NZ: A conversation with ASB CEO Vittoria Shortt

03 May 11:20 PM
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
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP