Swimmers from the Wharenui Swimming Club were among those who turned up to a meeting this afternoon to voice concerns over many aspects of the Christchurch City Council’s draft Long Term Plan.
If the plan is put in place, Wharenui Pool will be closed, the bus lounges in Riccarton Road will close, and the mobile library service will be cut. Among other changes, rates citywide will increase 4% a year over the next 10 years, library services will be reduced, and funding that supports community organisations will be cut.
Submissions on the plan close on Thursday, 18th March, and because of the tight time-frame, in an unprecedented move, residents group from around the city rallied today to express their joint concerns.
The Wharenui Pool and the bus lounges are the two facilities most likely to be lost to Riccarton.
Swimming club president Chris Averill says the club, staff and whanau have been working extremely hard over the last two years to ensure they can preserve the facility, that has taught 200,000 Cantabrians to swim over the last 110 years. The club has been offered time at the new Metro pool in Antigua Street when it is opened, but Mr Averill says Wharenui is the only council pool that offers learn-to-swim lessons, which are vital.
The City Council believes the facility has passed its used by date and has produced figures showing it will cost $700,000 per year for the next 10 years to maintain the facilities. “We reject this amount, but the council will not let us see how these figures have been produced until after the final Council decision has been made in June,” Mr Averill says.
“We have been working with the Council on other options for the club, but in essence, the options involve us renting space at other Council pools or moving us to our own private pool that the Council will not support.
“We appreciate that the facility is aged but we are committed to spending money to get our own feasibility study done to give us an idea as to how much it will cost to future-proof the facility for the next 20 years.”
Today’s meeting was told that because Riccarton has a high per centage of migrants, it is vital the pool be retained, as many don’t drive, and they would face bus journeys of up to three hours to switch to the Metro pool.
In the last few days, the club has launched an online petition to save the pool, and within 48 hours it had gathered 2,000 signatures.
Bus exchange protest
Strong condemnation of the plan to close the two bus lounges in Riccarton Rd was also voiced at the meeting.
Those present said prior to the lounges opening, there had been problems with gangs and anti-social behaviour in the area, but this has largely vanished. A young woman said she feels safer at the Riccarton site than in the bus exchange in the city. “This is a safe place for kids. I fear that if it closes, they will go elsewhere and cause havoc.”
A person who works as a security helper at the lounge said the lounge is a friendly and safe place for disabled people, which they will lose if it closes. “If anyone needs help, they come to us. Closing it will bring back antisocial behaviour.”