Easties..buckle up

Brian from New Brighton

He PUNA TAIMOANA HOT POOLS

Happy New Brighton to you all.



Here we are in 2020 heading rapidly to a number of projects being completed on the New Brighton foreshore, and these include the hot pools, Marine Parade redesign stage one, historic clocktower unveiling, and the likely start of the 2.3 million dollar New Brighton Surf Club build.


The impact of all this in tandem will be huge if you factor in an anticipated 1500 people per week visiting the hot pools, not counting the visitors who like to use the beach summer and winter, walk the pier, utilise the library and Salt-on-the-Pier café.


The increasing number of events on the foreshore including the Coast to Coast, Fireworks, surf carnivals, kite days, Duke Festival of Surfing, mean even more people ending up in central New Brighton. Then there is the Gavin Fantastic New Brighton Outdoor Art Festival to look forward to this year, and possible revival of the annual pancake race with men joining the women (money still on the women to take the honours).

There is talk of the return of the City to Surf fun run to the suburb (as running to Ferrymead from Hansen Park is not really a city to surf), and it is anticipated over 60,000 would participate and finish with a dip in the sea or hot pool or sauna or steam room.

Hopefully an enterprising entrepreneur will push this case beyond the talk and have it in place by March 2021.


Finally there is the continuation and expansion of the Saturday market under the direction of the Project team and new ideas are being considered here as well as the central area evolves.

Back to the He Puna Taimoana Hot Pools, I have noted there has been speculation around entry costs.

The Council will remain the owner of the hot pools although a commercial leisure operator may be sought to run the pools in the future. The immediate operational details including pricing will be released around the middle of next month.

It is likely there will be a fee structure will include reduced entry for Christchurch residents and Community Services Card holders, and concession rates similar to other council run ‘like for like’ facilities.
Some other details include the fact the pools will be salt-water chlorinated (which from what I understand is different from adding chlorine), and the facility is using energy efficient methods of water heating.

Five of the hot salt-water pools temp range in temperature from 40c to 28c which includes a fitness pool and a smaller (sixth) plunge pool around 12c giving plenty to choose from. There are to be three zones of relax and unwind, fitness active, and family active pools, and the complex will operate between 10am and 8pm seven days a week to allow after-work people to unwind.


Parking will be largely from the north (adjacent to surf club) and south ramps (behind war memorial), although the City Council is looking at additional back up parking options.


There you have it just some of initiatives ‘Getting New Brighton Moving’, if you live in the east, you are in for a hell of a ride over the next few years.
Don’t Sell. Happy New Brighton 2020.