2011-2012 Annual Report - Full Version - PDF - Palmerston North ...

Parks and RecreationLeisureWhat the Council DoesA major concern in 2011/12 was the number ofcricket matches that were not able to be playedin the summer. This was partially due to theextremely wet spring and summer but there werealso some physical and operational reasons for thisas well. In general the cricket wickets were in goodcondition, the problem was with the outfields andthe area directly adjacent to the wickets. In thecase of the outfields the problem is with irrigationand drainage. The mains water pressure has alsodropped at Fitzherbert, Ongley and ManawaroaParks causing problems, and also at the rosegardens and the croquet lawns irrigation in theEsplanade. The irrigation equipment itself is alsoin need of replacement. The other aspect is thedrainage of the Fitzherbert Park outfield and otherfields within Ongley and Manawaroa Parks. TheCouncil has approved a budget in the 2012/13year for measures to improve the water pressure,replace irrigation equipment and install a sandslit drainage system for Fitzherbert Park. Councilstaff will be working with the Manawatu CricketAssociation to further improve the cricket facilitiesin the City.Arena ManawatuA reduced number of events were held at ArenaManawatu during the past year compared tothe previous year, partly due to the Rugby WorldCup booking the entire complex for an extendedperiod. It was, however, a year of highlights whichincluded.• Arena Manawatu was magnificently showcasedto the world during September and Octoberwith the successful hosting of two RugbyWorld Cup games. This event was not only ahighlight for the venue but also for the entireregion.• The Speedway season continued to provepopular with total attendances for the yearahead of the previous year’s attendances.• ITM Cup proved very successful for theManawatu Turbos as their success on the fieldresulted in a sellout home final.• National Basketball League again showedan increase in attendances during their pastseason with the success of the team reachingthe semi-finals for the first time in many years.• A capacity crowd also turned out during Aprilfor the ANZ Netball competition (Pulse vNorthern Mystics).The Council continues to acknowledge thatArena Manawatu also heavily relies on all of thecommunity groups who use the facilities week inand week out, and to those groups who continueto bring the national tournaments each year to theCity.Swimming PoolsThe new management contract with CLM becameoperational in September 2011. There have beenno issues with the new contract and the poolsare being run efficiently and professionally by thecontractor. The Pool Check surveys carried outover the summer show a continued high level ofoverall satisfaction with the aquatic facilities in theCity. Council staff continue to meet with the CLMstaff on a regular basis and discuss any complaintsor issues that may have been raised with thenumber of complaints relating to cleanliness andimage of the facilities continuing to fall. An issueat the Lido has been the stretching of the vinylpool liners in the leisure pools. This was addressedduring the year and the liners re-stretched by theoriginal installers.The Wave Rave is still a feature of Friday nights atthe Lido, however numbers are down on someof the previous year’s figures but there is stillapproximately 100 people turning up regularly.The Swim Magic swim school has been reorganisedand is working well with attendance numbershaving increased over the year.There is a new mobility hoist in the Lido complexwhich was funded by a grant from the CentralEnergy Trust. The new hoist is able to be transferredto different pools within the complex and is veryeasy to use. Renewal work has been completed inthe family change rooms at the Lido with the mostnoticeable change being the new non-slip flooringthat has been installed.The roof at the Lido will need to be repaired infuture years because of the harsh nature of thepool environment and the effects on fasteningsand metal surfaces. A renewal programme isplanned for the 2015/16 financial year.New starting blocks have been installed at theFreyberg Community Pool, the previous blockswere becoming slippery and some of the blockshad started to work loose from the concrete floor.The Freyberg Community Pool is also in need ofsome ceiling repairs in 2012/13 due to corrosionof screws holding the ceiling panels in place. The10 Year Plan provides for the toddler pool at theFreyberg Community Pool to be extended andrealigned which will help with the efficiency ofbeing able to provide better learn to swim classesat the facility. This work is planned to be carriedout in the 2015/16 year.76 Palmerston North City Council Annual Report 2011/12