Pt Erin in the swim

BY JOCELYN REIN

The pools at Pt Erin could become the inner city's premier swimming spot, if an Auckland City Council bid is successful.

Councillors at last week's arts, culture and recreation committee voted to put forward an expression of interest to redevelop the pool complex on prime land overlooking the harbour bridge.

Committee chairman Greg Moyle says the venture could be a public-private partnership, where the council could put up the land and a pool operator builds what they see is required by the community.

The $10 million redevelopment would include the construction of an indoor facility that could be used all-year round.

Pt Erin has two unheated outdoor pools and only operates over the summer months, from mid-December until March.

Mr Moyle says the benefits of an indoor pool would be much wider than just the central city. He envisages North Shore residents using the pool too.

"We have an opportunity here to actually lead the way into the new city," he says.

He says at the moment, the nearest equivalent for city fringe residents are the Tepid Baths but they aren't ideal for families, kids learning to swim or for sports teams because the pools are run-down and parking is difficult.

"The demographic in the city is more for office workers and visitors, not families," he says.

He says at the moment Pt Erin is not meeting the needs of the community. "Visitation is well down, it needs to be all-year round."

But councillor Glenda Fryer says redeveloping Pt Erin now could come at the expense of a citywide free-pools policy once the supercity is formed next year.

At the moment Manukau City Council operates pools in its city at no cost to residents and Ms Fryer says the hope is that will be extended to all of Auckland under the supercity.

But it would be a lot harder to have a free pool if investors, who have stumped up large amounts of money, expect a return.

"Under normal circumstances it might be a good idea.

"It's not the right time to go into a major new project," she says.

Ms Fryer suggested at the meeting she would prefer to see a minor upgrade of $1.5m to $3m undertaken at Pt Erin while plans for the supercity are still being finalised.

A report to the committee noted that Pt Erin has been identified by the council as a high priority for redevelopment.

Ageing infrastructure and under-use put its visitor numbers of 50,000 per year well below Parnell Baths at about 116,000 visitors a year.

Up to $5m of the total cost could come from council's $7m citywide pool redevelopment budget.

St Mary's Bay resident and water polo coach Craig Stobo says an indoor pool at Pt Erin could be used for a wide range of activities and sports such as lap training, learning to swim, canoe polo, underwater hockey and water polo.

He says the current lack of pool space is limiting the growth of water sports teams.

The teams he coaches, Senior College and Parnell College, use pools at Epsom Girls Grammar or Sacred Heart College or have to travel to pools at Waitakere or North Shore's Millenium Centre.

The council will now put out an expression of interest to gauge private sector interest in the redevelopment.

- © Fairfax NZ News