Source: Radio New Zealand
The council posted on social media, announcing the pool will shut for roughly three to six months. Google Maps/Screenshot
The Westland District Council will temporarily close the Hokitika swimming pool amid the rising cost to keep it heated.
The council posted on social media, announcing the pool will shut for roughly three to six months, due to the unsustainable cost of diesel heating for the water.
Mayor Helen Lash told RNZ costs had climbed from $3000 a week to $6000, and then to $8,500 to run using diesel.
“It’s not viable for us to keep it running at that sort of cost, because of course that floats back to the ratepayers,” she said.
Lash said they were monitoring the cost of diesel.
“If we knew there was some longevity in a lower price that potentially was more affordable than what it is now then we would look at cranking the pool up again,” she said.
The council was looking at the possibility of upgrading the pool to electric heating, though Lash said the cost of that was also not ideal.
“The cost of power’s not fabulous either,” she said.
“In saying that, with the Waitaha hydro-dam now, it’s got the green light to go ahead, that’s something that can actually offset the cost of power on the cost.”
They had considered solar options, however the roof would not sustain the weight of solar panels, Lash said.
“We’ve got to look at options, long term options for it, so it’s more viable, more financially viable, because it’s just so popular in who it serves, and the age brackets that it serves as well.”
She said if coal were an option, that would be preferred.
“We have some of the cleanest burning coal in the world, and yet when we import coal it’s some of the filthiest, so it does annoy me a wee bit that we could be far more efficient.”
Lash said the pool’s closure was a significant loss to the community, being used for a number of classes as well as recreation.
“It’s the connection point of it,” she said.
“It serves such a wide age group for us, and I know what it means to many, especially in the elderly sector.”
Lash said the closure was not an easy decision.
She was looking at how they could better use things like council vehicles amid the ongoing fuel crisis.
“My area here is 420 km long, so what we don’t want to see is somebody from planning going down to, say, Franz Josef one day and somebody from building going down the next,” Lash said.
“Coordinate the trips, travel together, we’re doing that sort of thing a lot.”
They were mindful of the number of trips being taken also, holding off on some when there were later trips planned.
“People don’t mind rescheduling if it means there’s a saving in that respect.”
Lash said it was a difficult time.
“If we could have it open tomorrow we would, but it’s going to come down to what the diesel price does and/or the converting to power, which ever one comes first,” she said.
“But we want it open as soon as it can be, that’s for sure.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
