Whanganui East Pool visitor numbers dropping but facility’s long-term future secure

The pool's diving board was removed before the 2024/25 season due to safety concerns. Photo / NZME

Whanganui East Pool visitor numbers have plummeted in recent years, with the weather and lack of amenities two possible reasons.

There were 3176 total visitors in 2025/26, compared to 4797 in 2024/25 and 9671 in 2023/24.

Whanganui District Council aquatics manager Lucy Thompson said it was difficult to attribute the drop “to any single factor with certainty”.

“A range of variables influence seasonal attendance and we don’t have a dataset that isolates one clear cause,” she said.

“While seasonal averages provide some context, they don’t always reflect conditions during peak periods.

“For example, staff noted particularly warm conditions leading into Christmas and across December and January in the 2023-24 season, which likely supported higher attendance during those times.”

A council Facebook post on January 14 said there had been two swimmers through the gates in three hours and the pool would be closed for the rest of the day.

Thompson said facility and operational factors may have played a role.

Internal feedback indicated public confusion about whether the pool was open, partly driven by social media and media commentary, she said.

“In addition, slide admissions dropped significantly, from around 3400 in 2023-24 to approximately 890 in 2024-25.

“This suggests the availability and appeal of key attractions such as the hydroslide and diving board may have influenced overall patronage.

“It is likely a combination of weather, facility condition and amenities, and public perception rather than one single factor.”

The diving board was removed before the 2024/25 season for safety reasons, and the hydroslide did not operate in 2025/26.

In 2023/24, the pool opened daily at noon, with the season lasting about three months.

The 2024/25 season was four weeks shorter, with the pool open from 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

That increased to Tuesday to Sunday for last season, which ran from December 19 to March 16.

A $2 million upgrade of the facility, including heating the pool, is due to be finished next year.

At a strategy and policy committee extraordinary meeting on March 19, elected members voted 6-4 against a recommendation from councillor Philippa Baker-Hogan to close the pool for the 2026/27 season.

However, the recommendation has been included as a “hot topic” in the council’s annual plan consultation document, with feedback open until May 3.

The document says not opening for one summer would save about $190,000, cutting about $10 from the average rates bill for 2026/27.

Thompson said if it opened in 2026/27, the pool would be “operating in the same manner as the season just been”, with no hydroslide, diving board or heating.

The council’s annual plan will be signed off in June.

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 Whanganui District Council.