Wellington Invites Public Input on Leisure Facilities

Wellington City Council is to review its future policy future decisions about its libraries, pools, recreation and community centres and halls.

In a just launched public consultation, the City is also proposing improvements to a number of facilities.

In a statement, the City Council announced that "we're looking at spending $37 million on library improvements over the next 12 years, including a revamp of the Central Library; technology upgrades; making more digital material available; and building a new library in Johnsonville.

"We're also proposing upgrading Aro Valley, Kilbirnie, Newtown and Strathmore community centres and developing new facilities in Churton Park at a cost of $9 million.

"Councillors agreed last year to spend $12.5 million on pool upgrades over the next 10 years as part of our long-term plan and have recently agreed on the projects they believe should be funded.

"In the coming year, we propose to build a new indoor teaching pool at Karori Pool for the learn-to-swim programme and a new hydrotherapy pool at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie. The new hydrotherapy pool would allow the existing shared teaching and hydrotherapy pool to be used exclusively for learn-to-swim.

"Next year, we want to complete a feasibility study looking at the possibility of developing a new library next to Keith Spry Pool to create a hub of community facilities for Johnsonville. The new hub will include an expansion of Keith Spry Pool, adding a dual teaching and hydrotherapy pool, new water play space and changing facilities for families.

"We're also proposing a new roof for the Tawa Pool, a retractable roof for the Thorndon Pool and boosting the Council's grants fund by $500,000, spread over two years from 2011/12, to support the upgrade of school pools.

"We also need to manage the pool space we have more efficiently. This is likely to mean some changes in where and when people can do casual lane swimming and restrict the space available at some pools for children to play or practise after school - at least until the upgrade work is complete.

"Detailed information on what this would mean will be available from pools and on our website. We will also do further work on how we can better meet the demand for aquatic activities."

To find out more see the draft Community Facilities Policy and Implementation Plan at www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/publicinput/community-facilities.html