Mataura residents, unable to swim in their own community pool because of a lack of supervisors, are being offered a free bus trip to the Gore Aquatic Centre while officials work to fill serious staff shortages at the Mataura pool.
The Gore District Council has been struggling to fill vacancies at the Mataura pool for more than a week, which has forced it to close some sessions and leave regular users, including a local swimming club, without a venue.
In a memorandum to the Mataura Community Board on Friday, October 17, council parks and recreation manager Ian Soper said it had arranged for staff to supervise Labour Weekend sessions and those next weekend.
"These weekend sessions will be confirmed on a week-by-week basis" until permanent staff were secured, he said.
The Mataura Licensing Trust agreed to help pay for the bus service.
Mr Soper said the council was also willing to offer a bus service for any school with a booking at the Mataura pool to take them to the Gore facility should the staffing situation at Mataura not be resolved by next month, when schools are booked in.
The council has advertised for a Mataura supervisor and Mr Soper said it had fielded "a number of enquiries" from interested members of the community.
Applications for the job close tomorrow.
