Mosgiel community keen to support pool: trust

Taieri Community Facilities Trust chairman Michael Stedman  holds  draft plans for a $15 million...
Taieri Community Facilities Trust chairman Michael Stedman holds draft plans for a $15 million Taieri Aquatic Facility. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
The ''fuse has been lit'' to build a $15 million Taieri Aquatic Facility at Memorial Park in Mosgiel, the chairman of the trust behind it says.

Chairman Michael Stedman said a draft proposal for a new aquatic centre would be presented to the Dunedin City Council on December 1.

The Taieri Community Facilities Trust was confident the community could raise up to $7.5 million for the facility and the council would be asked to match it dollar for dollar, he said.''

It's been talked about for 10 years. We have to find a way in the next five or six years to make this happen without it impacting negatively on ratepayers or [council] debt.''

The community was ''enthused, excited and positive'', Mr Stedman said.

The $30,000 the council gave for a feasibility study revealed Memorial Park was the preferred site because it was near a children's playground, was easily accessed, and faced north with plenty of parking.

The trust investigated 12 possible sites and narrowed it down to the top three - Memorial Park, Brooklands Park and Seddon Park.

Other top contenders included sites near Taieri College, Wingatui Racecourse and the existing Mosgiel pool.

Dunedin company Logic Group created the ''robust'' proposal and the operations of every new pool in Otago, Southland and Canterbury were researched to benchmark capital, operational and construction costs and compare attendance rates.''

We know a great deal about their costs and what is popular and what works. We are not reinventing the wheel.''

The data revealed the annual operating costs of the facility would be up to $800,000.

The trust aimed to have the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient aquatic facility in the South Island, he said.

The data would help the trust convince the council to include the facility as part of the city's 10-year budget, then the community would be consulted on the pool.

More than 2300 online surveys had been completed through a website, www.poolingtogether.org.nz, launched by the trust.

The ''staggering'' response revealed the community wanted four heated pools - a toddler pool, a 10m x 25m learner pool, a 25m x 25m lap pool and a hotter hydrotherapy pool, similar to the physiotherapy pool in Dunedin.

A hydrotherapy pool would be popular, because more than a quarter of Mosgiel's population was aged 65 or older, Mr Stedman said.

The plans allowed for the facility to expand its services, such as gymnasiums, climbing walls and a cafe.

Consultants from Compton Fundraising Group interviewed 30 people across the Taieri and reported the community was willing to contribute $7.5 million, Mr Stedman said.

Between $5 million and $6 million would be raised by individuals, families and companies, and trusts would be targeted for the rest, he said.

''That's huge - a community saying we will stand beside council.''

Council parks, recreation and aquatics group manager Mick Reece said a new Mosgiel pool would complement, rather than compete with, Moana Pool.

The proposal would be ''digested'' by council staff over the Christmas season, he said.

''The trust have set high standards.''

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement