Ongoing and costly maintenance bills have prompted the Lawrence-Tuapeka Community Board and Clutha District Council to suggest the time is right to consider pool options.
The board recently recommended the 2008-09 pool maintenance budget be doubled to $18,000 so it could be painted with a chlorinated rubber paint, leaky joints sealed and new hand rails installed in the childrens' pool.
Council staff believe these jobs will tide the pool over until its future is considered as part of the council's long-term community plan review. The revised plan will be adopted in July 2009.
An in-committee report on the issue, now released to the public, reveals board members were told it was appropriate to discuss the pool's future because two expensive features - its roof and filter system - were both nearing the end of their useful life.
The report, penned by council district assets manager Jules Witt, said the pool was generally open four months of the year and its annual income over the past three years was about $1500. It cost the council nearly $50,000 to run every year.
Although both roof and filter system needed to be replaced, Mr Witt said there were a number of options available to enable the existing pool, or a new pool, to operate in the future, hinting that the council could step away from ownership.
"Community-operated pools have been operating in Tapanui and Owaka for many years and, with community support, these can operate with significantly less cost than a fully manned council-operated pool."
Another option would be to investigate funding a new pool, possibly on a site at the Lawrence Area School, which had been suggested as a good location with the bulk of users being schoolchildren.
In a separate report, , council community services co-ordinator Loesje Morrison said advice from pool engineers was "rough-order costs estimates" for a new 25m by 12m pool would be between $1.6 million and $2 million.
"As decisions would need to be made in consultation with the public, it is recommended that the pool remain as is in the interim.
"This will give the community board a window of opportunity to consider the future of the Lawrence swimming pool, with some big-ticket items for the pool on the horizon."
