A petition to save the Tinwald Pool has more than 700 signatures.
Tinwald resident Tina Cox launched the online petition, at change.org, on Saturday.
It follows an outcry on social media from hundreds of people upset at a district council decision not to open the pool this summer.
The district council made the decision last week, citing cost, low visitation, staff shortages and leaks.
Cox told The Ashburton Courier it was ridiculous the district council was closing the pool this summer.
She said the pool was busy on hot days, and a popular location for Tinwald residents, including herself who regularly took her grandchildren there.
She questioned the district council decision.
‘‘If it was leaking last summer why wasn’t the solution found and put in place?’’ she said.
Group manager people and facilities Sarah Mosley said in response that multiple repairs over the last 10 years to the leaking pool shell had not resolved leaks from unknown locations in the underground pipework.
‘‘Due to the nature and unknown location of the leaks a further patch job was considered but then discounted as when coupled with the likelihood that there would be insufficient staffing to open the pool,’’ Mosley said.
Councillors approved the recommendation from staff not to open the pool at their meeting last week.
Staff said in a report the future of the pool, which was 50-years-old, in its current state was “severely limited”. It would cost about $3 million to rebuild. The pool leaks 17,000 litres of water each day. “The major plant can not be replaced upon failure without significant changes to the water treatment assets above and below ground.’’
The long-term future of the pool will be determined in the Long-Term Plan (LTP) process currently under way.
The district council will weigh up the benefits of a business case to rebuild the pool at the $3 million cost, against other capital projects.
The closure for this summer means the town will be without an outdoor pool, unless the district council is able to organise use of the town’s only other outdoor pool, at Hampstead School, which operates on a key system.
- You can sign the Save our Pool petition at https://chng.it/TY4KwVBJ4g
