Entry to Memorial Pool will be free all Easter weekend. Photo / Supplied
Memorial Pool in Tauranga will permanently close after a last hurrah this weekend, after more than 70 years.
The outdoor seasonal pool usually closes for winter, but this time it won’t reopen for spring.
A Tauranga City Council media release said it had confirmed pool operator Bay Venues’ recommendation to permanently close the pool.
This was due to its deteriorating condition and ongoing remedial and operational costs.
The site is set to be redeveloped into the proposed Memorial Park Aquatic Centre, plans for which the council is redesigning.
Bay Venues chief executive Chad Hooker said in the release that Memorial Pool, which was built in 1955, has significant infrastructure- and age-related issues and was not used enough to support the cost of keeping it open.
“Key issues with the pool include significant leaks and ongoing issues with the heating system that regularly result in expensive remedial and maintenance costs, along with booking cancellations and delayed pool openings.”
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said while it was sad to see a much-loved community asset coming to its end of life, the proposed new facility would be a significant upgrade.
“We know how important aquatic facilities are for the people of Tauranga and are committed to building additional facilities for our community.”
Last year, the council approved $50,000 to develop new concept designs for the new facility.
This came after the council paused a prior $105 million plan – developed during the commissioners’ era – over concerns it did not offer value for money.
There was no estimate for the full new project cost yet.
Drysdale said work on the new concept design was underway, guided by a project steering group that included councillors and subject-matter experts.
The redevelopment proposed a modern aquatic facility designed for lane swimming, aquatic sports, hydrotherapy, learn-to-swim programmes and family recreation.
The council was also working with the Mount Maunganui Aquatic Centre Trust to create a 50-metre outdoor training pool at Mount Maunganui College. Drysdale said it was expected to open next summer.
In December, the council approved a loan-funded grant of more than $5m to support extending the college’s pool from 33m to 50m.
The pool was more than 60 years old and was essentially “hanging on”, college principal Alastair Sinton said last year.
The council also agreed to provide ongoing support to subsidise community use of the pool.
Drysdale said the council had also committed to keeping Ōtūmoetai Pool open and carrying out required upgrades over the coming years.
Early last year, the council voted to invest $5.71m between 2027 and 2033 for maintenance and upgrades of that pool, previously slated for closure.
The plantroom and filtration system would be upgraded and pool entry ramps added to increase accessibility.
The city’s public pool network also includes the Baywave and Greerton aquatic centres. The council also owns Mount Hot Pools, but this is closed indefinitely after being damaged by the January 22 Mauao landslide.
The council was expected to confirm its preferred timeline and funding approach for the Memorial Park Aquatic Centre through the upcoming Annual Plan process.
Entry to Memorial Pool will be free all Easter weekend (Friday – Monday).
“There will be free inflatables and plenty of fun on offer for the whole family, so come along and have one last splash,” Hooker said in the council media release.
It will be closed to public swimmers from Tuesday, with a final Pooch in the Pool community event to be held next Saturday for dog lovers and their four-legged companions, following the lowering of water levels and removal of chlorine.