Auckland Mayor confirms free pools for kids

Access to Auckland's council-owned swimming pools will be free to children 16 years and under following a recent decision by the Council's Strategy and Finance Committee.

The decision comes after months of discussion between councillors, local boards and input from the community as the council moves to formulate a single policy across Auckland, a move Brown, the former Mayor of Manukau, describes as bitter-sweet.

Mayor Brown told local media "from day one this debate has been bitter-sweet. Sweet because we are doing something amazing for all of Auckland's kids, and bitter because for Manukau this is the one thing they feared the most from amalgamation."

The original proposal put forward by the Mayor was for universal free access to swimming pools across the region, as is currently the case for the six Manukau City pools.

Mayor Brown added "as we strive to put in place fees and charges across the region that are fair to all, this is my very best fall-back position.

"After 17 years of debating this throughout my political career I remain assured that this is, and always has been, about the kids."

During the debate the Mayor also touched on the importance of learn to swim programmes and his desire to bring free swimming lessons to all our pools, concluding "we know only too well, following yet another tragedy this week, that teaching our kids to swim should be as important as teaching them to ride a bike."

Auckland's historic Tepid Baths have reopened in the centre of the city following the completion of an NZ$15.8 million restoration and upgrade programme.

First opened to city residents in 1914, the Tepid Baths closed in early 2010 to undergo work -including repairs to its infrastructure and conservation of the building's historic features.

Auckland Council led the redevelopment, which was designed by Jasmax along with heritage specialists Matthews and Matthews Architects. Coffey Projects, Holmes Consulting Group; and New Zealand Strong also contributed to the scheme.

Speaking at last weekend's reopeing Mayor Brown stated "thousands of Aucklanders have childhood memories of visiting the baths - long may that continue."

5th June 2012 - AUCKLAND’S TEPID BATHS SET FOR 23RD JUNE REOPENING 

11th April 2012 - FREE SWIMMING LESSONS TO REACH 37,000 AUCKLAND CHILDREN

13th January 2012 - WATER SAFETY CAMPAIGN TARGETS HIGH MAORI DROWNING RATES

20th May 2011 - MANUKAU SWIM PROGRAM DELIVERS 200,000 FREE LESSONS 

4th April 2011 - AUSTSWIM TRAINING LAUNCHES IN NEW ZEALAND 

20th August 2010 - MANUKAU SPORTS CLUBS CAPITALISE ON CLUB SMART PROGRAM

3rd May 2010 - MANUKAU SWIM INITIATIVE EARNS NATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

15th December 2009 - FREE SWIMMING: AN END OR A BEGINNING?

4th November 2009 - SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL CLOSURES RISING 

27th May 2009 - NOT ENOUGH POOLS TO STAY AFLOAT 

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