Selwyn Times: December 13, 2016

4
Tuesday December 13 2016
SELWYN TIMES
News
Courtenay pool to remain closed
• By Tom Doudney
AT LEAST one of Selwyn’s six
community pools will not be
able to open this summer and
the other five will have to ensure
they can meet new requirements
before getting the go ahead.
The district council has
decided the community pool at
Courtenay will not be able to
open unless issues around active
supervision and ageing plant and
equipment are resolved.
It has agreed to work with
communities in Halkett, Leeston,
Prebbleton, Killinchy and Sheffield
to enable those pools to
open.
However, local pool committees
and users will need to agree
on plans which include regular
water quality testing, ensuring
that unauthorised users can’t
access pools, secure chemical
storage, signage and having first
aid resources on site.
Plans will also require active
supervision in place when swimmers
use these pools. This could
include trained lifeguards, community
supervisors who have
received appropriate training
or parents, who have received
information about their responsibilities,
supervising their own
children.
The district council had undertaken
an assessment of its swimming
pools to ensure their operations
comply with the Health and
Safety in Work Act, which came
into force in April 2016.
There were no significant issues
with its larger pools, the Selwyn
Aquatic Centre in Rolleston and
the Darfield and Southbridge
pools complexes at Darfield and
Southbridge pools. However, the
assessment determined changes
needed to be made at the smaller
pools.
Mayor Sam Broughton said the
district council realised the pools
were important to their communities
and wanted people to be
able to use them over summer.
“However, as the owner of
these facilities the council also
has a duty of care to people using
the pools. Nobody wants a child
to be injured or drown at a local
pool.”
At Halkett, Killinchy and
Leeston, district council staff will
work with pool committees to
ensure that the required level of
supervision is available, which is
NOT
IMPRESSED:
Courtney
Reserve
Committee
chairwoman
Carol Garland
says the district
council’s
estimate for the
cost of repairing
the local pool
is “ridiculous.”
PHOTO: GEOFF
SLOAN
likely to be provided by community
members and users.
At Sheffield and Prebbleton,
both busy facilities, the district
council will supply trained
lifeguards. Prebbleton was
previously a diving pool with a
maximum depth of 2.2m so the
district council believes it has a
higher level of risk. Sheffield will
only be able to open from 1-7pm,
daily.
The district council estimated
that repairs and maintenance
needed at Courtenay pool would
cost somewhere between $60,000
and $80,000. It had indicated
that these costs, coupled with the
small number of users, reopening
the pool in the longer term would
not be viable.
Courtenay Reserve Committee
chairwoman Carol Garland was
disappointed that the pool would
not be able to open this summer.
She said the estimated repair
costs were ridiculous and the
committee believed it could complete
all necessary maintenance
for about $5000.
“That is just so far off the mark,
if they really think they are going
to have to spend that amount of
money somebody is seriously
ripping off the council,” Mrs
Garland said.
Sheffield Pool Committee
chairwoman Rochelle Barrett
said the result was a good compromise
for them.
“It’s better than not opening,”
she said.
“It would have been great if it
could carry on the way it was but
unfortunately that can’t happen.”
Opening dates for the other
five community pools will be
advised as soon as the new
operational arrangements have
been confirmed with local pool
committees.
Christmas gifts and
decorations available now
Florist | Fresh & Silk Flowers | Wall Art | Clocks | Gifts | Vases | Lamps | Home Furnishing | Jewellery
Xmas gift wrapping
Xmas floral
centrepieces
Xmas
wreaths
Vouchers
One stop shop for flowers and gifts
Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-2pm
Shop 15 Rolleston Square Rolleston | Phone 03 347 1068 | robinsnest.2009@yahoo.co.nz