Community gets behind hot salt water pools

A huge community response to calls for ideas on the New Brighton hot salt water pools development will see the project push ahead to the next stage.

More than 920 community responses were received to Development Christchurch Limited’s (DCL’s) call for the community to get involved in the or the upgrade of the existing whale pool playground and development of a hot salt water pool facility.

The popular whale pool at New Brighton.

DCL Chief Executive Rob Hall says the response was fantastic and the ideas gathered will inform the next stages of the development.

“We knew, as a result of community feedback over the past few years, that there was some support for this sort of development in New Brighton. This recent engagement process has allowed DCL to hear first-hand what the community wants and keeps the conversation going.”

The community were asked about New Brighton and proposed development. Their feedback showed:

• 90 per cent of respondents want to see the whale remain as part of the upgraded Community Playground;
• 83 per cent of respondents believe the play area needs to be a mix of wet and dry play equipment;
• Slides, water play, swings and climbing are the activities most wanted in the community playground;
• Seating, shade and a design that works for all ages and abilities were other key features wanted by respondents;
• 85 per cent of the respondents support the prioritisation of the hot pools, with 2 per cent not supporting the development of hot pools in New Brighton at all;
• 64 per cent of respondents said they would visit the Hot Pools most often when compared to QEII or the free play area. The reasons offered were: health, relaxation and a unique experience;
• In order of preference, the benefits people want to see in the hot pools are: relaxation and wellbeing, great family facility for all ages, unique asset that encourages people to stay, fitness and adventure activities;
• 78 per cent of respondents would use the hot pools year round; and
• 62 per cent of respondents would like the entry fee to be in the range of $6 to $8 with 30 per cent expecting an entry fee of between $9 and $11.

These findings, and the additional comments provided by respondents, will be used to inform the next phase of the project. DCL will prepare a report for Christchurch City Council to consider a way forward on the development, including how it will fit in with the other initiatives underway in the city’s east.

It is expected decisions will be made by the end of this year so design work can get underway in early 2017.