Hastings District Council reports busy summer season at Splash Planet and community pools

Hastings District Council has advised that people have been heading to the its outdoor pools in droves since just before Christmas, with a “super busy summer season” seeing visitor numbers up on last year across all facilities.

Since its season opening on 12th November last year, Splash Planet is tracking ahead of last year in terms of numbers with 59,420 people have passed through its gate up to 9th January - compared to 56,467 for the same period last year.

A day at Splash Planet usually sees patrons purchase food and beverage items and, in that same time-frame, 8,438 ice-creams have been served, 6,507 punnets of chips sold, along with 1160 pies and 1209 pizzas.

Open seven days a week for most of its summer season, Splash Planet will reduce its hours to weekends only from 9th February to 31st March.

The summer heat has also driven lots of people to the District’s other outdoor pools, again leading to large visitor number increases from last year.

From 20th December to 5th January, 3,863 people headed to the Frimley pool to cool off, not counting four private bookings bringing 600 swimmers.

This was compared to 1,782 in the same period last year.

The busiest day was 2nd January when 581 people made use of the facility.

The Havelock North Village Pool attracted 4,089 people between 20th December to 5th January (up from 2,816 last year) – its busiest day also 2nd January when 525 people went through the gates.

While the Clive War Memorial Pool is closed for maintenance from 7th to 27th January, groups such as the Trojans and Greendale Swim Clubs and the Waimarama Surf Lifesaving Club are also making good use of the Village Pool during that time.

Hastings District Council Group Manager Community Facilities and Programmes Alison Banks said it was great to see all the facilities being so well used, and that there were positive changes for the community swimming pools in the pipeline for next season.

Banks stated “staff have suggested some improvements for next season such as more shaded areas closer to the pools, play features in the toddlers’ pool and maybe a volley ball court at Frimley.”

Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the much-loved Splash Planet was a drawcard to both visitors to Hastings as well as locals, adding “it has been so awesome to watch the many, many people having fun and enjoying this wonderful tourist facility over the holiday period.”

Image: Splash Planet.