Hamilton Municipal Pools: demolish or refurbish?

Katherine from Melville

Dear all
Hamilton City Council decided in its recent Ten Year Plan deliberations to go against the wishes of the community by not restoring the Municipal Pools, but by setting aside $1 million to demolish the pools instead. You can read the 10 Year Plan here: www.hamilton.govt.nz...

City Council is now preparing to apply to itself for resource consent to undertake the demolition. City officials have told Sink Or Swim that the consenting process will be a fully public one, that is, the consent application will be publicly notified and anyone can submit on the application.

The application is expected to be publicly notified this week or next week, so look out for it in the Public Notices section of the local newspapers or on Council's website: www.hamilton.govt.nz...

If you want the Munies to be restored rather than bulldozed and turned into a park, it is important that you make a submission against the consent application. The more people who tell council that we need this pool for historic, recreation, and amenity reasons, not to mention the provision of life-skills and for inner-city vibrancy, the more council may listen.

Wouldn't it be great to have the Munies redeveloped into a wonderful modern swimming complex that will serve Hamilton for another 100 years? This will free up lane space at Waterworld and Gallagher Pools, provide ease of access to a public pool for inner-city dwellers and workers, and a swimming venue for the six schools in walking distance of the Munies.

Once the consent application is notified, submitters will have 4 weeks to make their submission. The hearing is likely to take place in March.

In the meantime, please tell your elected representatives how you feel about the Municipal Pools. When Sink Or Swim presented to Council on the recent 10 Year Plan we were surprised how many of the new Councillors knew nothing of the debate that has been ongoing since 2012 regarding the community's wished for the pools to be refurbished and reopened.

Sink OR Swim would rather see the $1 million go towards part-funding for upgrading the pools, changing rooms, entrance and club room as we envisaged in our 2013 architectural design and costing.

Sink Or Swim is an interest group dedicated to serving the needs of Hamilton’s individual swimmers by ensuring the century-old Hamilton City Council-owned Municipal Pools become once more available to the public following the pools' closure in 2012.
Phone 021 0437 668 (Katherine Luketina)
facebook: www.facebook.com...
email: sink.or.swim.hamilton@gmail.com