It’s time to make a splash if you want your community pool.
That’s the message from Motueka Pool Committee president Fred Hickling, who is urging Motueka residents to once again pen their support for the project, to ensure that it stays in the Tasman District Council’s 10-year plan.
He says that although members of the public may already have voiced their support for the construction of a covered pool, it was time to do so again, as the original proposal has been upgraded and therefore overridden with the council’s recent purchase of land which has flagged as a potential future-proofed site.
Fred says that the pool has always drawn a lot of submissions, showing a clear endorsement for the project.
“The general public in the district need to support what they’re doing, because there’s probably not going to be another [chance].”
The council document description is a plan that “sets out the services and projects the council intends to provide, the costs of doing so, how we’ll pay for it and what it all means for rates and debt”.
Fundraising for Motueka’s swimming pool began in the 1990s, and although the project was always well supported, the feasibility of different sites proved to be roadblocks for the project.
However, late last year, the TDC purchased a large block of land on King Edward St, which is earmarked for a potential pool complex for the town.
The complex is to include a six-lane main pool, a combined leisure and learn-to-swim pool, a hydrotherapy pool, a toddler’s splash pad and a spa pool, as well as amenities like changing rooms and a reception area.
Construction is to begin in 2026, with the pool scheduled to open in 2028.
According to council documents, the pool will cost $20m, with about a fifth of this coming from rates-funded loans, a little over half from reserves and community services financial contributions, and the remaining $4.4m to be fundraised from within the community.
This funding structure means that the pool complex will have no immediate impact on rates, with the impact forecast to rise to $29 per Tasman-rated household and business per year from 2028 onwards.
More than $250,000 has been raised from within the community so far, and Fred says that “every cent donated is and has been gaining interest in the bank since its inception”.
Motueka Rotary president Paul Heywood says that there is strong support from the town’s Rotary and Lions clubs for the project, with thousands of dollars already allocated for the pool complex.
Paul, who recently joined Fred on the pool committee, says that public submissions are a necessary part of the process.
He believes that the council has demonstrated “a very strong intent” by purchasing the King Edward St land, and now the community needs to show the same intent.
“We have to reaffirm that there is very strong support, and I hope that people will take the opportunity.”
Submissions to the 10-year Long-Term Plan can be made online here, or by emailing LTP@tasman.govt.nz
Alternatively, people can complete the paper submission form attached to the consultation document at Tasman District Council offices or libraries.
Submissions close on Sunday, 28 April at 4pm.
