Funding secures new regional aquatic centre for Hawke’s Bay

Following the announcement of $32 million in funding from the New Zealand Government’s “shovel ready” projects fund, Hawke’s Bay is to have a new aquatic centre by 2022.

The new Aquatic facility will be part of the Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park on the outskirts of Hastings and will include a long awaited international class 50-metre swimming pool along with a 25-metre learn-to-swim pool, which will also be available for other uses such as water polo.

The announcement was made by New Zealand Minister for Small Business and Napier Member of Parliament, Stuart Nash at the Trust’s Open Day marking the first anniversary of its EIT Institute of Sport & Health today (Sunday 26th July).

Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust Chair, Sir Graeme Avery advises “It’s a game changer for the region.

“We’d already determined there was a well-defined community need for more water space in the region. It was part of our original vision and it is wonderful that the government has supported us to make this happen.

“The Trust’s aim is the improve the health and wellbeing of Hawke’s Bay people and this new facility will help the region immensely. It’s going to provide something for all sectors of the community, and we think, will set Hawke’s Bay apart.”

Resource consent is already in place for the Olympic size 50 metre pool and a learn-to-swim 25 metre pool, which made the project ideal for Infrastructure Reference Group’s (IRG) shovel ready funding. Planning the build will commence immediately.

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre will be available for swim training, water polo (there is no deep-water pool in the region), school sports and competition events, along with water competency education and community health lap swimming and aquarobics classes.

It is also expected to be used by Hawke’s Bay District Health Board working with patients with mobility issues, and the morbidly obese.

It will add to the multi-sport indoor training facilities for netball, basketball, volleyball, badminton, futsal and pickleball at the EIT Institute of Sport & Health, as well as complementing the outdoor athletics, hockey, netball, canoe polo, rugby league and football facilities at Mitre 10 Park.

Avery adds “together, these multi-sports facilities will make Mitre 10 Park unrivalled in New Zealand as a world-class sports training, competition and major events venue.

“Looking forward to when the aquatic centre opens in early/mid 2022, multi-day major regional, national and possibly international sports events could be held at the Park and across the region, bringing in a significant number of athletes and supporters, with the visitor spend materially helping the post-Covid economic recovery of the hospitality and retail sectors in Hawke’s Bay.”

Avery advised that the Hawke’s Bay community has already contributed $19million, “reflecting the widespread support of the community for the project.”

Hastings District Council contributed $4million of the $19million, with the Lotteries Significant Grants fund granting a further $3million and the Provincial Growth Fund $5million.

Image top: Architect’s representation of the Olympic size pool for the HB Regional Aquatic Centre; image centre Aerial view of Mitre 10 Park, Hastings with new Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre indicated and image above epresentation of the learners’ pool based on the comparable pool at AUT Millennium, Auckland.