Marton pool roof design close to sign-off but facility will be closed this summer

Create Ltd's option one design for the Marton Swim Centre. Photo / Create Ltd

A new roof for the Marton Swim Centre is one step closer, with district councillors settling on a design.

The only Olympic-sized pool in Whanganui and Rangitīkei was closed for the 2024/25 season following the partial collapse of its roof last August.

Toby Mason, director and architect at Create Ltd, presented two options to the Rangitīkei District Council’s Assets/Infrastructure committee this week.

Option one was an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof with a steel frame, which came close to indicative costs.

The second option – reinstated timber beams, a steel frame, and an ETFE roof – was estimated to cost around $250,000 to $300,000 more.

Mason said both options reduced seismic mass due to a lightweight roof.

“It [EFTE] has a UV inhibitor within the foil, as all of them do in New Zealand, or most of them should,” he said.

“ETFE is a very durable material, a derivative of telfon, and far exceeds a Kingspan warranty in terms of lifespan.”

He said it was possible to reinstate a metal-insulated roof at a similar price, but EFTE helped to reduce heating costs.

“The other benefit is there is no need to light the space during daylight hours.”

All committee members except councillor Simon Loudon voted in favour of recommending option one at a full council meeting in a fortnight.

Loudon abstained, saying reports on the project had not allowed elected members to assess the situation adequately.

“I’m concerned there are very loose statements around costings,” he said.

Rangitīkei mayor Andy Watson said option one looked fantastic, and sunlight through the new roof would “open up a very dark space”.

“We need to get on with this,” he said.

Committee chair and deputy mayor Dave Wilson said Create LTD were the designers and architects, not the builders.

Indicative costs had been presented to councillors on several occasions, he said.

The facility was closed for the 2024/25 season. Photo / Rangitīkei District Council

“We are simply creating a design to give guidance to a tender process, to enable us to push on with this project.

“The tender will require building consents.

“Just because we are the owner of the building, we are not exempt from that process.”

Wilson told the Chronicle the indicative costs remained publicly excluded to ensure the tender process was not prejudiced.

“In my business experience, it allows you to keep a bit of price tension in there,” he said.

“We need to test the market to make sure we get the best bang for buck.

“I think there will be a number of interested parties.”

He said funding for the project would be included in the next long-term plan (2027-37), and that required another council decision.

“Then, you would have to look at shifting another budget around, or what we reduce to cover it, or if we do it, what the impact on rates will be.

“Those are further discussions to be had. You can’t just throw the money in willy-nilly.”

Wilson said the pool would remain closed for the 2025/26 season, but the end result would be “pretty exciting”.

“It’s a real opportunity for us and our community.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.