Waitematā Local Board has agreed to the extension of Olympic Pool and Fitness Limited's (OPFL) lease to manage the Olympic Pool and Fitness Centre in Newmarket until November 2034, subject to statutory processes.
The decision, made in a confidential session following an adjournment of the boards business meeting last week, means council will enter negotiations for a new lease with OPFL.
The new lease will be contingent on statutory requirements and both parties agreeing to new terms and conditions, including ensuring essential repairs and upgrades are completed. The lease can also be terminated if an agreement on the necessary work, funding and certain contractual variations isn’t reached.
Community views
Board chair Genevieve Sage says that the decision was made with the long-term interests of the facility at heart and thanked the community for giving their views during the business meeting last week.
“We acknowledge that this issue has generated a lot of passion and interest in the community, and that the pool is a well-used and cherished facility.
“I want to put on record our thanks to the members of the community who presented their views on to the board on Tuesday, and for their patience waiting for the decision following the meeting adjournment.
“While there is significant remedial and seismic work required, the board remains committed to providing a quality aquatic and leisure service that delivers value for money for the community.
Work to be done
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done to bring the centre up to seismic code, and to repair and renew several parts of the centre that are either damaged or at the end of their life.
“This work could be disruptive, and we want to understand just how much it could impact the operation of the centre, so part of our decision today was to ensure any requirements for closure would be clearly identified within the next two years.
“At the same time, the work required is expected to exceed our current budget capacity, so sourcing funding for it will be an important piece of work that we want to see agreed within the same period.
“But we are mindful that this is a facility for everyone to utilise, and to that end we want to continue to encourage people to make the most of the pool, so we also included a condition for under-17s to swim for free at the facility and for staff to be paid a living wage.
“This decision also means we can give assurance to OPFL going forward and give them the confidence that they can make plans for their long-term investment in the centre.
“I am pleased with this outcome, it suits and provides certainty to all parties, and means we can look forward to a bright future for the Olympic, which continues to provide a valued and much-loved service to our community,” she says.
Stay up to date
Sign up for the Waitematā Local Board E-news and get local news direct to your inbox each month.
