Whanganui Swimming Club fears impact of Marton Swim Centre roof failure

There was a significant failure in one of the laminated beams and visible cracks in another beam in the roof above the Marton Swim Centre. Photo / Rangitīkei District Council

A roof failure at the Marton Swim Centre could make it difficult for Whanganui’s swimming talent to get in enough practice ahead of national competitions.

A routine inspection by the Rangitīkei District Council led to the discovery of the partial collapse of the roof above the Marton Swim Centre.

Whanganui Swimming Club board member Aaron Bunker said there was a shortage of covered 50m pools between Wellington and Hawke’s Bay.

The swim team would have to explore other options such as travelling to Feilding or Hāwera, or using the Whanganui Girls’ College pool if the Marton Swim Centre could not reopen for the summer season.

There are about 125 swimmers in the Whanganui Swimming Club, ranging from ages 8 to 40.

“It is vital for a swimmer’s preparation to get access to 50m swimming pools prior to major meets,” Bunker said.

He hoped the Rangitīkei council would look at further investment in the pool alongside completing the repairs, especially the option for the pool to be open year-round instead of just during the summer season.

“It’d be really great if they’re looking to spend some money on that pool if they upgrade the heating system as well.

“It’s always been known as a cold pool, dare I say it, ever since the roof was put on it.

“It seems odd that you’ve got an indoor pool that has to be shut in winter because of the lack of heating facilities.”

Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said the council first had to assess the extent of the damage in what could be an expensive programme.

“We need to get through understanding exactly what the situation is and how much it will cost us in both time and money in terms of repairing the roof.

“It will be a priority for our district.”

He said the council had signalled in its long-term plan that it would like to look at the cost of maintenance for the Marton Swim Centre – for instance, the cost of painting the facility.

But no further work had been decided on.

Bunker said the Marton pool was primarily used to build up Whanganui’s performance squad for national age group events that were held in 50m pools.

“A real opportunity was lost for Whanganui when they redeveloped the Splash Centre and only put that leisure pool in.

“They really missed the boat there to incorporate a 50m facility.”

Bracing has been placed inside the Marton Swim Centre to prevent further damage with the council working alongside Community Leisure Management and structural engineers to assess the roof fault.

Watson said the council was awaiting further updates from experts investigating the roof failure.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.