Safety improvements to be made to Whakatāne's Wairaka tidal pool

Immediate safety actions will be implemented at the Wairaka tidal pool before Christmas. Photo / Charlotte Jones

After years of complaints about scummy water and dangerous steps, and a memorable account of "rats the size of cats", safety improvements will be made to the contentious Wairaka tidal pool.

Whakatāne district councillors voted yesterday to implement some immediate safety measures recommended by consultants Boffa Miskell.

These include moving the wooden seating back from the pool's edge, lowering the raised cobblestones, applying slip-reduction measures to the steps, installing safety signs, and continuing to allow sand to build up within the pool.

The immediate safety actions are expected to cost less than $10,000.

Council community experience general manager Georgina Fletcher said it had cost somewhere in the vicinity of $38,000 to employ Boffa Miskell to date.

She said the river was one of Whakatāne's jewels and the work on the Wairaka Centennial Park was done in response to safety concerns around competing use of the river.

"As long as Whakatāne has been here, people have wanted to access the river to swim and gather food," she said.

"Our objective remains the same: to provide a safe place for people to do that."

Fletcher said to a large extent the revamped playground, bombing platform and picnic area had been a huge success and was well used by the community. However, there had been complaints from the public about the pool since its opening in 2017.

These have included that the water is stagnant, dirty, and smelly and that the steps leading down to the pool are too steep and slippery. At least one person has said they have fallen down the steps, sustaining serious bruising, while avoiding "rats the size of cats".

As part of its review, Boffa Miskell met with iwi and Ngāti Hokopu hapū as well as the wider community.

Feedback provided to the firm included that there was limited access to the river, and it was a challenge to access the flat rock, Himoki. There was also not enough sheltered space.

Hapū asked, as kaitiaki, to be enabled to practise tikanga and for cultural features and stories to be recognised. They also asked for the visual representation of iwi and for cultural elements to be incorporated into the design process as well as for a softer stopbank design and improvement of the water health.

The wider community asked for showers, for the riverside walkway to be "brought back", for more rubbish bins, and more cultural art.

Many said the idea of the tidal pool was good, but implemented in the wrong way.

The consultants were not asked to provide a final design for the pool but recommended some design objectives including incorporating cultural representation, playfulness, enhancement of natural processes, being safe and inclusive, visible and connected, resilient, and informative and educational.

Boffa Miskell also undertook a review of the safe bombing platform where swimmers come into conflict with boaties and have advised the council to map the river floor for any large debris.

Many people had said the water was too shallow and there needed to be a ladder, pontoon and swing.

Fletcher said moving the timber seats back at least one metre would give people space to stand up. Now, the seats were set against the steep tidal pool steps.

She said the raised cobblestones were too high and a trip hazard, and allowing the sand to build up would reduce the cost of clearing the pool.

Vocal opponent of the tidal pool Sandy Milne said he "gasped" when he heard how much the council had paid Boffa Miskell and said the council had "slept" on the matter for too long.

The council will now be establishing a project design group that includes Ngāti Hokopu, Wairaka Marae whānau, and harbour user representatives to create a project plan for any medium to long-term improvements for the tidal pool.

The immediate safety actions will be implemented before Christmas.