Wanaka swimmers' dreams of a new $11.5 million aquatic centre were sunk yesterday by an announcement the project has dumped from the Queenstown Lakes District Council's 10-year plan.
Wanaka's proposed $10 million indoor stadium and hard courts have been given higher priority by the council and funding for those projects is in the long-term council community plan to be adopted by the council at a meeting in Wanaka on Tuesday next week.
Plans for the stadium and hard courts have been revised, following 793 submissions from the Wanaka public on site issues and calls for restraint during the tougher economic climate.
Wanaka Aquatic Centre Working Party chairman Leigh Stock said he was very disappointed yesterday to learn about the revisions and "doubly disappointed for the community" that there would be further delays with the pool.
"When we were instructed by [former Wanaka ward manager] Chris Hawker back in 2003-04, it was within a 10-year-time from then. That they've knocked it out of the 10-year plan is very disappointing and short-sighted," Mr Stock said, when contacted by the Otago Daily Times.
He was surprised to learn the council is instead considering building a learners' pool at the community pool in 2010-11.
Adding a learners' pool would be "throwing money away" because of the present swimming pool's maintenance problems, increasing winter heating costs and increasing demand from patrons.
QLDC mayor Clive Geddes said in a media release the revisions were "a way forward" in the tough economic climate.
The community would get facilities it does not have (a stadium and more hard courts) and maintain the pool until such time as a new aquatic centre was realisticand affordable, he said.
The council recently obtained a report that the pool could continue to operate at an affordable cost, after some improvements in air handling and floor surfaces were made.
Remedial work costing $305,000 will be funded in 2009-10.
More work is to be done on finding a site for the stadium and hard courts.
The council has two options, a privately-owned greenfields site off Ballantyne Rd, or the council-owned Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park-Wanaka Showgrounds site in the middle of town.
Buying the greenfields site could add between $8 million and $10 million to the $10 million project.
A proposal to co-locate the new aquatic centre with the new stadium has not been dropped, even though the aquatic centre working party's preferred site is at Kelly's Flat.
When the stadium plans are drawn up in three years time, the council wants them to include a footprint for an aquatic centre.
The revised Wanaka sports facilities programme to be approved by the council on Tuesday is. -Request a technical assessment of greenfields sites before choosing between one of the two identified sites.
Explore further the costs of keeping the camping ground functioning as a "kiwi camp".
Set aside a provisional capital sum in 2009-10 to buy the greenfields site, if selected.
Support the proposed aquatic centre but defer it for 10 to 15 years.
Investigate some internal enhancements at the pool, including the possible creation of a learners' pool for inclusion in the 2010-11 Annual Plan.
Confirm an indoor sports facility is the priority and begin development of a stadium and hard court area (with provision for an aquatic centre footprint) in 2011-12.
