Don’t Close Otumoetai Pool

The entrance to Otumoetai Pool

I have had a recent query about Otumoetai Pool.

I read that you are in favour of building facilities in the suburbs. What is your stance on the proposed closing of Otumoetai Pool?

I am totally opposed to closing the pool. The Otumoetai pool is exactly the type of facility we need. It is close to the college and to the intermediate for school swimming classes, and also available for local residents. We need community pools for water safety and swimming lessons. There is a great little pool in Papamoa next to Papamoa Primary School. It is run by the school and the local swimming club. It is used for swimming classes by all of the local schools.

Otumoetai pool does need maintenance and possibly upgrading – depending on what people need. As it is at the moment, it is a very useful facility for the community. It looks to me that the pool is being closed to drive people to the new aquatic center. But what about the schools?

I think that there is an issue with management of the pool by Bay Venues. They seem to make everything much more expensive than it should be. One of the things I would like to do if elected, is review the whole council, and the council controlled organisations like Bay Venues. There is a lot of waste and inefficiency. The council is a black hole money pit from what I can see.

One of the reasons I am standing is because somebody needs to do something about that. Eventually after waiting for somebody else, I decided that perhaps that somebody is me. I am an engineer so I understand what should be happening, and I do not see it happening so something is very wrong.