Closing Wanganui East swimming pool would save about $45,000 per annum, a Wanganui District Council strategy committee meeting was told on Tuesday. Recreation and culture manager Keith Hindson said he believed it would be difficult to make the required five percent cut in operational spending (about $23,000) in the 2005-06 swimmingpools budget. Reducing mowing and garden maintenance around the Splash Centre would save about $3000. However, $45,000 would be saved by closing the Wanganui East pool. In his paper on the issue, Mr Hindson said the Splash Centre was struggling to meet demand and the closure of Wanganui East could compound that problem. Council had resolved to consult with the community prior to closing the pool and swimming clubs had expressed an interest in operating it, he said. Cr Marty Lindsay said he could not support closing the pool as demand at the Splash Centre was already high. An extension to the Splash Centre is one of the projects in next month's council referendum. Chief executive Colin Whitlock said the "quite significant" operational costs for any extension was an issue council would need to consider. Meanwhile, Mr Hindson said council's property section was inquiring if there were any buyers for equipment at the closed Gonville pool. The next phase would be demolition of the buildings and filling in the hole in the ground to create a marketable proposition.
