Whakatāne Aquatic and Fitness Centre will be closed to the public for a period of three weeks to allow contractors to carry out scheduled maintenance and improvement works at the facility.

Both the pools and gym will close from Monday, 29 April and re-open on Monday, 20 May. During this time contractors will be undertaking improvement and maintenance works on the changing room and toilet facilities, hot water system, and to the 25-metre indoor pool. 

Whakatāne District Council Manager Aquatics and Recreation, Andrew Smith, says while the closure is regrettable, maintenance investment is necessary for the facility to continue to operate safely and efficiently.

“We appreciate this closure is not ideal however it’s necessary to allow maintenance and improvement works to take place without risk to public safety, and to ensure the facility continues to operate safely and efficiently,” says Andrew.

“Nationally, many aquatic centres close annually for a time to carry out essential maintenance and improvements. Over the past few years we’ve managed to keep our facility open during maintenance works, however the nature of the work scheduled means it’s simply unsafe to do so this time.”

He continues, “It makes sense to complete all required maintenance in one hit. It causes less inconvenience to our members and is more cost effective to undertake.” 

“We’re know the closure falls during term time and will create some disruption to regular Learn to Swim classes, Aqua Classes, Swim Club and general users of the centre," adds Andrew. "However, we’ve timed this closure to avoid the busy school holiday period and to coincide with the cooler months where we usually see a dip in users visiting the facility.”

All memberships, including fitness centre memberships, will be on hold during this time and Learn to Swim will be operating a shorter-term time of 7-weeks. Outdoor gym classes will be available to fitness centre members free of charge to minimise disruption to members’ individual health journeys. 

During the closure, staff will be attending training sessions and assisting with maintenance and cleaning where safe to do so.

“We’re looking forward to offering an improved level of service once this essential maintenance is completed.”

The Centre will return to normal business hours from Monday, 20 May 2024.

ENDS