More detail about Wanaka's new swimming pools emerged at a public meeting this week.
The Wanaka Community Board called the public forum on Tuesday evening, to update people on progress and to get feedback on aspects of the pools which are yet to be decided.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council decided in June to bring construction of the pools, estimated to cost $12.28 million, forward to next year.
They will be built at the new Three Parks subdivision alongside the new sports facility, on which work has started.
Some aspects of the pools which are yet to be confirmed include how they will be heated, lane width, the gradient of the base of the lap pool and what the pools will be lined with.
''We're examining every aspect of the facility to satisfy ourselves that it's functioning as efficiently as it can and we've got value for money out of every square inch,'' council planning and development general manager, Marc Bretherton, told the meeting.
''Wanaka's only going to build one of these in our lifetime, so it needs to be right ... we're trying to pick up as many tricks of the trade as we can.''
The council was considering whether Cook Brothers Construction, which was building the sports facility, should also construct the aquatic centre.
There were efficiencies in having the same main contractor, Mr Bretherton said, but it was subject to the firm's performance.
Community board chairwoman Rachel Brown said a local person was now needed to ''lead the charge'' towards a fundraising goal and councillor Calum MacLeod asked if those at the meeting supported naming rights for the various components of the pools being sold for sponsorship, to which there was no opposition.
Mr Bretherton said applications for grants totalling $2.2 million had been made to the Central Lakes Trust, the Otago Community Trust and the Lottery Grants Board.
Having a charter to ensure pool operators, users and funders knew how the facility would be run, to avoid ''friction down the line'', was also proposed by keen Wanaka swimmer Roger North.
Cr Lyal Cocks suggested this process be started by a meeting between organisations which operate within the swimming pool complex now, to see how they envisaged the new facility working.
Sixteen community members, five council or community board members and four council staff or consultants attended the meeting.
''It felt really positive. We've got a lot of different people represented. It's great we're moving forward. I'm quite excited about this pool, now it's finally starting,'' Ms Brown said.
