Venture Southland targets ongoing viability for Southland’s community pools
Introduction
With community swimming pools across Southland threatened by a lack of finances, volunteers, expertise, and sheer disrepair, Venture Southland has spearheaded an action plan to address these issues and ensure communities across the lower South Island continue to have access to pools for fun, lessons and competition.
The issues
Venture Southland, a joint committee of the three councils in the Southland area (Southland, Gore, and Invercargill City) identified that many of the 33 community swimming pools across their region were struggling with the same issues. Most of these pools were built in the 1960’s, on school land, involved significant community fundraising, and were being run jointly by schools and communities.
The pools were generally in poor condition and were set in communities struggling to provide the volunteers or the skills to run them as modern pools that would meet compliance requirements (such as supervision) and effectively manage risk. Securing finances for pool maintenance, capital development, and heating costs was also becoming very difficult for many of the communities.
Venture Southland community development planner, Diana Zadravec, says there were big issues to be addressed in considering the future of the pools, like the absence of swimming from the school curriculum, the low level of dedicated funding schools receive from the Ministry of Education for pools, and the involvement of – or lack of - local government in funding and managing pools.
A strategy for revitalising the pools across the region was needed with partners from national and local government, community boards, schools and community groups all playing their part.
The swimming pool audits
In 2007, as a significant first step in supporting the community pools, Venture Southland launched an audit of pools in Western Southland. The audits included swimming pools in Otautau, Riverton, Ohai, Tuatapere, and Blackmount. The Fiordland Community Pool in Te Anau was also audited.
The extensive audit gathered data on the physical state of the pools and estimated future maintenance and capital work and cost. It analysed operations, use, partnerships, health and safety, and finances. It aimed to pinpoint scope for improvement and opportunities that would assist the stakeholders to make decisions on the future of their pools and help the pools go forward as viable, sustainable facilities.
Audits have been completed for six pools but only three have been published to date. The three pools that were given top priority were Riverton, Fiordland (in Te Anau) and Takitimu (in Ohai).
The Riverton and District Baths
The Riverton and District Baths were built in the mid 1960’s and are surrounded by a population of about 2,500 in the Riverton township and ward. It was found by the auditors to be in better shape all round and better maintained than most comparable community facilities in the area and was capable of a viable future.
The auditors reported the pool to be a good example of a proven funding model where a community facility is supported by a grant from the local community via rates collected by the local community board. The audit noted that the security of this funding from rates had reportedly assisted with long term planning and with leveraging of additional public funding.
The pool is run by the Baths Society, a proactive non-profit incorporated society body that began implementing the recommendations of the auditors soon after the first site visit. Those first actions included developing an operations manual, an emergency action plan, an asset register and log of accidents or incidents at the pool.
Following meetings facilitated by Venture Southland, the Riverton Community Board tentatively approved an increase in the annual grant and a one-off contribution to upgrades. Venture Southland has been helping the Baths Society fundraise for their $350,000 upgrade. A new chlorination system has been installed and the society is researching solar heating options. Pool staff have attended a water treatment course and a hire contract is now in place for pool users, reducing the potential liability of the society in case of an accident.
The Fiordland Community Swimming Pool
The Fiordland Community Swimming Pool is in the grounds of Fiordland College, Te Anau. It is the only 25 metre pool in the isolated Te Anau basin and the only one within a 2 hour drive suitable for training and for hosting competitions. It is run by a non-profit incorporated society with most outside assistance provided by the College Board. Serving a community of over 3,000 people plus summer visitors, it is well used.
The audit found it to be in good condition and well managed, providing the community and particularly school aged children with above average opportunities to learn swimming and water safety skills. But the audit saw problems ahead with costs unless a projected maintenance program was implemented and a cheaper heating alternative found.
At the time of the audit in December 2007 the auditors noted concerns about disagreement surrounding the contributions and responsibilities of respective stakeholders and also that the Te Anau Community Board had no involvement with the pool. This left the Pool Society faced with the responsibility of operating the pool as well as fundraising for the full operating costs. The lack of financial commitment from the stakeholders also affected the Society’s ability to leverage public funding. The audit recommended that key stakeholders meet annually and co-operate actively in management.
The audit recommendations were accepted and the Pool Society, the College Board and the Te Anau Community Board have since formed a working party with the aim of securing the viability of the facility. Both the school and the Community Board are now making an annual contribution and the Pool Society is able to focus on the much needed upgrading.
Takitimu Baths
In Ohai, the Takitimu Baths are a popular facility for residents of this small and isolated town. However, the recent audit has shown the pool is in need of major maintenance and extensive upgrade in the very near future. The audit also reported that the pool was in need of significant and urgent input from local government and other stakeholders, with regard to planning and funding.
“The pool committee was perhaps a little overwhelmed when they first saw the breadth of issues facing the pool, but they were determined to preserve their treasured facility” says Diana. “The audit helped to focus the committee on the critical issues, and in conjunction with Venture Southland the pool committee is now developing a long term management plan to safeguard the pool’s future”.
Early stages of the plan have seen the pool committee strengthen funding relationships with local elected bodies - the Wallace Community Board, and the Ohai and Nightcaps Community Development Area Sub Committees. The pool committee has also undertaken steps to make their organisation an incorporated body which will lessen the personal liabilities of current committee members, and will give the pool committee the opportunity to explore further funding streams.
Key Learnings
Diana Zadravec , says the audits created some ripples but served to lay out the issues for all the communities and partners to see, such as the reality that pools are not profitable facilities (even city pools usually have to be significantly subsidised by local rates) and the fact that pool groups needed assistance with technical issues, compliance, liabilities and training involved in operating a pool.
She says the audits undertaken have provided a useful platform from which to build on. However, like other community project partnerships, progress on the pools initiative has sometimes been slow because volunteer groups and small community bodies typically work at their own pace, says Diana.
The audits also showed a need for stronger support from government, from local government and a commitment to the importance of swimming pools as community facilities.
According to Diana “It is really important for communities to use and get involved with running their pools if they want to keep them, as a small band of volunteers is often not enough…and it would not take much to cause the closure of some of the pools.
When pool managing groups receive assistance and encouragement, they are more aware and more motivated to address issues with their facilities, the community gets more involved and ultimately everyone benefits.
We can’t take local swimming pools for granted. They are now a luxury. Once they close down it would be very hard to re-open them.”
Community Development Planner: Diana Zadravec
(03) 211 1408
diana@venturesouthland.co.nz
Updated | 06 Apr 2009.
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