Lifeguard shortage hits Ashburton
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
A shortage of lifeguards is forcing reduced hours at the Tinwald Pool for the rest of summer.
The lifeguard shortage is impacting the operation of Ashburton District Council run pools, with the EA Networks Centre (EANC) based team also covering the Tinwald Community pool, but also other centres across the country.
The shortage has hit harder in Ashburton in recent weeks due to a combination of staff returning to university and multiple fulltime lifeguards isolating due to Covid, people and facilities group manager Sarah Mosley, said.
“It has been disappointing to reduce Tinwald’s operational hours sporadically during this season, however, it was the only option given the staff we had available,” Mosley said.
“Like many other facilities around New Zealand, we’ve had lifeguard vacancies all summer, which has made it challenging to staff both pools.”
It meant at Waitangi weekend, in the middle of a run of 30C days, the pool hours were reduced and even closed on the Saturday.
The council lifeguard team consists of six full-time permanent staff and 14 part-time employees, Mosley said.
“We require 384 lifeguard hours per week to operate EANC in accordance with our Pool Safe Certification and when Tinwald Pool is open, we need an additional 119 lifeguarding hours per week.”
That’s a total of 503 lifeguard hours every week in the peak of summer to keep both facilities open but this summer they don’t have the cover.
“Given these challenges, and with the end of the season approaching, Tinwald Pool will now be open Friday to Sunday to align with higher usage.”
A Children’s Day event will be held in the Tinwald Domain on March 5, which is also the last day of the Tinwald Pool season, which will be free entry. Mosley said.
Following some recent recruitment, Mosley said they still have six shifts needing filled at EANC.
Other community pools are not run by council and Mosley said they follow a non-supervised season subscription (key holder) operation model.
“Some offer hours where supervision is provided, whereas others don’t, and most rely on parents or guardians supervising children.”
Mosley said the council supports and funds some health and safety related projects and operational costs for five pools - Hinds, Rakaia, Mt Somers, Ruapuna, and Mayfield - which are on council land but are managed by community groups.
There are seven other community pools in the district that are not on council land and managed by community groups - Willowby, Hampstead, Fairton, Dorrie, Wakanui, Lauriston, and Methven.
Methven Community Pool has been closed this summer as fundraising efforts continue to raise the $250,000 for major repairs.
Ōpuke Thermal Pools in Methven utilises lifeguards for its discovery (all ages) pools and director James McKenzie said they are always on the hunt for lifeguards.
“We are a lot better off this year than the same time last year but could always do with a couple more as many only work part-time on a casual basis,” McKenzie said.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air
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Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
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