Council explains why it ruled out a quick-fix on leaky Ashburton pool
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Any temporary repair of Tinwald Pool's leaks would not have solved the staffing shortages, the Ashburton Council says.
“Council’s decision was based on multiple factors, including that we wouldn’t be able to have sufficient lifeguards," people and facilities group manager Sarah Mosley said.
“Due to the community frustration of ad-hoc closures last summer, council decided to provide certainty around the pools closure well ahead of the summer season.”
The pool leaks 17,000 litres a day, the plant is failing, and along with staffing shortages, the council saw it as untenable to open this summer.
The Ashburton District Council is set to consider options for the 50-year-old outdoor pool’s future.
“As renewal of the pool and plant would come at a significant cost, a business case will be presented to council for the long-term plan 2024/34.”
A further patch job was discounted due to the unknown location of the leaks coupled with the likelihood that there would be insufficient staffing to open the pool, Mosley said.
The pool has had multiple repairs over the last 10 years to address the leaking pool shell, Mosley said.
“These repairs have a limited lifespan and they do not resolve leaks from the underground pipework.
“Due to the underground location of many of the services, it would be a significant job to inspect all pipework to identify the leaks, and given the age of the pipes, the recommendation to replace existing pipe and pumping equipment is part of the rebuild business case.”
The council allocated $200,000 of its Three Waters Better Off government funding towards several community pool projects, including the early design work for a rebuild of Tinwald Pool.
That work will produce a preliminary design of the pool rebuild, which will help set a budget for the long-term plan, Mosley said. An initial $3m cost estimate is based on similar pool rebuilds, but
The business case is likely to garner plenty of community support, with a petition to ‘save our pool’ already having over 650 signatures.
In the meantime, EA Networks Centre will be the only public pool in Ashburton this summer.
The annual maintenance shutdown will be moved to accommodate that fact, while the recruitment of lifeguards is also an ongoing focus, Mosley said.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.2% Summer
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36.4% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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