Whanganui District Council mulls over future of nearly 100-year-old suburban pool

The pool opened in October 1926. Photo / Bevan Conley

Keeping the Whanganui East Pool open into the future could cost $2.1 million.

It’s up to Whanganui district councillors to make the call as part of the council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) for 2023/24.

During a recent LTP workshop, council community and customer experience general manager Marianne Cavanagh said there were a number of issues to address at the facility.

They included an inadequate filtration system, notable leaks, old and tired structures and a lack of recreational space.

The current filtration system doesn’t meet PoolSafe requirements.

Poolsafe, an industry-led management initiative, completes independent assessments of public pools to ensure their operations and facilities are safe.

Drainage of the changing rooms is also inadequate, and there are no partitions for those needing privacy.

Around the pool, concrete is at different heights and poses trip hazards.

Cavanagh said there was a limited season at the pool with set opening times due to resourcing.

“We don’t heat the water, so it’s dependent on the weather a little bit.

“In terms of staffing, we do require three lifeguards [to be] rostered, and if we have the slide going, we need another at the same time.”

The toilets and changing rooms are downstairs and aren’t accessible to those with disabilities.

The pool first opened in October 1926.

Cavanagh said the council took over responsibility for the facility in 1947.

“In 2015, we did a consultation on closing the pool and got a huge number of submissions against that.

“The decision was made at the time to retain. Since then, we haven’t had any specific capital expenditure in any Long Term Plans.”

The pool took in revenue of $23,404 last season (January 9 to April 1), against a gross cost of $126,249.

The pool was open from January to April this year. Photo / Bevan Conley

A business case for the LTP has been prepared by council aquatic service manager Lucy Thompson.

It recommends installing a dividing wall at the shallow end of the pool to create a 25-metre lap pool and a separate shallow toddlers/learn-to-swim pool within the existing concrete pool structure.

An appropriate filtration system would be installed along with an automated chemical control and dosing system, as well as a heating system.

Accessibility would be improved with hoists, a disabled toilet and ramps.

Thompson’s report recommends installing new barbeques and shaded areas and removing the toddler’s pool to free up picnic space.

All up, the upgrade will cost approximately $2.1m, with pool refurbishment and filtration making up $1.5m of that.

Heating the pool is estimated to cost $30,000 per season.

Thompson said while the current filtration system didn’t meet PoolSafe standards, the pool met water quality standards and there were no issues with that last season.

An alternative option - applying a PVC membrane solution to the current pool structure - would cost around $520,000.

“The other option is what we’ve done previously - the patch-and-paint or ‘band-aid’ fixes, as we call them,” Cavanagh said.

That is estimated to cost between $80,000 and $150,000 every three to five years.

“The other option is to completely close and divest the land. It is valued at around $780,000 for the land and buildings.”

Whanganui Deputy Mayor Helen Craig other sites could be explored to house an outdoor pool.

A “helicopter view” of the issue was needed.

“We currently own the St George’s [School] site, and that would allow for expansion, but we need to consider what we want [and] where long-term.

“Otherwise, we are not going to be making good decisions.”

Council chief executive David Langford said conversations were held with elected members about the possibility of an outdoor pool at the Splash Centre.

“If you look at the cost-to-serve per person going into each of the pools, the Whanganui East Pool is 25 per cent more expensive than the Splash Centre.

“That’s before you’ve made $2m worth of investment into improving it.”

The workshop was a chance for councillors to discuss the issue, but no official decisions on the pool’s future have been made.

The LTP comes into effect on July 1 next year.

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