The diving board at the Whanganui East Pool was removed before the 2024/25 season. Photo / NZME
The future of the Whanganui East Pool is still undecided, despite a citizens’ assembly revealing its recommendations.
The assembly, formed last year to provide input on the future of the pool and outdoor swimming in the district, presented two recommendations to Whanganui district councillors at a meeting at the War Memorial Centre on July 15.
They were to upgrade the Whanganui East Pool and further develop the Splash Centre (recommendation one), or expand the Splash Centre and close/dispose of the Whanganui East Pool (recommendation two).
The council has put aside $2 million to implement, or start implementing, whatever plans are eventually signed off by elected members.
Upgrading Whanganui East, with an additional lifespan of at least 25 years, and developing the Splash Centre came with an estimated cost of $2.5m to $3m.
Doing away with it and expanding the Splash Centre had an outdoor component ($6m to $9m) and an indoor component ($15m to $20m).
At the meeting, Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford said its finances were in good shape, and finding an additional $500,000 to complete recommendation one would be relatively straightforward.
“[Councillors] will have a decision to make as to whether you cap it at $2m or go a little bit more,” he said.
“Because the Splash upgrade would be a more substantial amount of money, [the council’s] significance and engagement policy would kick in, and it would be something [councillors] would have to put to the next long-term plan [2027-2037] for consideration.
“That process would look like a business case prepared by officers, likely with the continued input of the citizens’ assembly.”
Assembly member Jack Bullock, a district councillor from 2010-2016, said the Whanganui East Pool had been “kicked down the road” during his time on the council.
“We acted in a poor way, by not tackling the issue of the pool’s future back then, when we were advised it was leaking and had various other issues affecting its life and the usage of it.”
Bullock said his children were lucky to have access to the Brunswick School pool, so he did not have to source external swimming lessons.
“However, I appreciate the challenge. Having a newly developed space will provide further capacity to ensure swimming lessons can be conducted for all our children.”
He hoped an external organisation could take on the Whanganui East facility in the future, “if that’s what is required”.
Affordability and rates impacts had been factored into the assembly’s recommendations, Bullock said.
Assembly member Patrick Carroll said if the Whanganui East Pool closed, its essence - “affordability and fun” - had to be preserved.
The proposed upgrade to the Splash Centre includes a wave pool, an outdoor pool, diving/bomb platforming, adjustable floor depth and a café.
Whanganui East’s springboard was removed before the 2024/25 season because of safety concerns and was replaced with two fixed diving boards.
“We can’t have young kids jumping off the [Whanganui City] bridge and rowing boat pontoon because their families can’t afford to send them to our only local pool,” Carroll said.
Deputy Mayor Helen Craig asked the assembly if it felt the council would be rushing a decision if something was signed off at the meeting.
Assembly member Isham Redford said it did not and, while there were some knowledge gaps, the assembly had brought solid options allowing the council “to set the direction or intention of travel”.
Councillor Michael Law proposed a motion to approve refurbishing the Whanganui East Pool by using the $2m provision, and to request Langford to prepare a business case for the future upgrade of the Splash Centre for consideration in the next long-term plan.
He said the assembly’s suggestion that the Whanganui East Pool could be given to the community to run in the future was a great idea.
“Let’s start off with what we have right now - $2m,” he said.
Councillor Kate Joblin brought a procedural motion to leave the item on the table until the next council meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan had requested a report on the structural integrity of the pool.
Councillor Rob Vinsen asked for a report on efficiency gains if all aquatics operated on one site.
Langford said a structural integrity report was included in scoping work for the pool in the 2024-2034 long-term plan (LTP).
The council gave the public two options on the pool as part of the LTP - shut it or upgrade it for $2.1m.
“We can dig [the report] out and bring it back to you, then you can have confidence the investment we are going to make will last the 25 years that’s being asked for.”
He said councillors already had access to a report on efficiency gains.
“But we’ll put it together in a fresh, supplementary report and bring it back to the next meeting.”
Joblin’s motion was passed 8 to 5, with Joblin, Vinsen, Craig and councillors Glenda Brown, Ross Fallen, Peter Oskam and Charlotte Melser voting in favour.
Law, Mayor Andrew Tripe and councillors Josh Chandulal-Mackay, Jenny Duncan and Charlie Anderson voted against it.
Speaking to the Chronicle, Bullock said the assembly was expecting the council to make a decision at the meeting, but he understood why it was left on the table.
“We are asking for a huge amount of work,” he said.
“It means the chief executive can go away and do a few things - pull out some old reports, and give some cost indications.”
Bullock said the assembly “would be seriously unhappy” if no decision was made at the August 12 council meeting.
“What they risk doing, and it’s already stepping into this territory a little bit, is it becomes an election issue.
“They have to get something done this term.”
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.