Selwyn Times: August 05, 2020

SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday August 5 2020 7
Committee
Get your Tickets Now
SELLING FAST
www.selwynsounds.co.nz
responds to pool closure claims
• By Devon Bolger
THE COMMITTEE responsible
for running the Halkett Pool
is rejecting claims that poor
management led to it breaching
pool water safety standards.
Last week Selwyn Times reported
the district council voted
to close the pool for the season as
well as consider permanent closure
under the Long Term Plan.
It is due to health and safety
concerns at the pool which
includes having 11 days in a row
of non-compliant water readings
in January.
A spokeswoman for the
Halkett Community Centre
Committee said: “Up until two
years ago we had no issues with
our pool, at which time the
council employed a new aquatic
centre manager and all of our issues
have started since then.”
The spokeswoman said the
district council installed a new
chemical dispenser two years ago
without consultation or notification.
“We were advised by the
aquatic manager that we were
REJECTED: The Halkett Pool has been closed due to health and safety concerns but the
committee which manages it has said that it is not their fault. ​
not to control or alter the new
dispenser as they would take
care of this and adjust as and if
required. They started our pump
and controller at the beginning
of our season and incorrectly set
the chlorine level at zero themselves.”
Active Selwyn manager James
Richmond said the committee
was in fact allowed to control the
dispenser.
“Operating it is part of the
day to day running of the pools,
done by the pool committees.
The controller committees are
informed that if there are issues
with the dispenser they are to
follow the supplied Pool Water
Risk Management Plan or contact
staff. Neither occurred in
this case.
“A staff member did turn on
the pool filtration and added
chlorine to the water at the
Halkett Pool last year, but did
not modify the controller as it requires
the chlorine to have been
in the pool for 24 hours first.”
One of the issues the district
council had with the committee
was that it had no members present
at a pool operations course
last year.
The committee spokeswoman
said: “We were not advised that
more than one person could
attend this course and due to
unforeseen last minute work
commitments at a busy time of
the year the committee member
could not attend, however, offered
to attend another course.
“Why did the council not run
this course earlier in the year
rather than leaving it till last minute
when pools were due to open?”
Richmond refutes this saying
all of the committees were
informed of the course five and a
half weeks beforehand and multiple
spaces were available.
“We did not receive a response
from the Halkett committee
until over a month later, after we
had sent them a reminder. Other
pool committees had already
booked, with one sending five
members to attend the course.”
6 MARCH
LINCOLN
2021
3 CG EVENTS presents
LIVE IN LINCOLN
JON STEVENS
THE
NOISEWORKS
+INXS COLLECTION
STAN WALKER
JORDAN LUCK BAND
ANNIE CRUMMER
JASON KERRISON OPSHOP • THE LADY KILLERS
RODNEY FISHER GOODSHIRT • CHE FU SUPERGROOVE
NATHAN KING + ANDY LYNCH ZED
AUTOMATIC 80’s
THE REMNANTS OF HELLO SAILOR
Tickets On Sale Now
www.selwynsounds.co.nz
The Fan
Brigade
Ben
Hurley
comedy night [ R18 ]
5 t h ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
saturday 17 october in lincoln ONLY $44+BF
tickets on sale now www.liveinlincoln.nz
BRIDGESTONE LINCOLN
Jarred
Fell
Alan
McElroy
CRATE & BARREL LEESTON