It will now cost locals $16 for casual entry or $150 for 10 entries.
Rates for seniors and disability for locals go from $14 to $12 or $117 for a 10-entry pass while 3- to 14-year-olds will now pay $10.
After robust discussions, the only councillor who didn’t support the move was Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan who said she felt establishing a local rate could cause problems for the council.
“Locals might expect this rate forever, and if in the future council decided to sell the asset, this could hamstring it.”
Mayor Kirsten Wise said she didn’t believe it would “hamstring us” and “for the moment this is the right thing to do while we are running it”.
The facilities were bought by the council in early 2022 and opened in May 2023.
Council papers show that increasing energy costs is a key issue at Ocean Spa. Its gas and electricity costs are estimated to have increased 59% for the financial year 2023/2024.
“With limited transparency of expenditure, asset investment and business operations from previous owners, it was recognised that pricing across the board did not rise with expenditure over a 10-year period; nor was the asset invested in accordingly,” the papers say.
Council’s focus has now moved to driving better performance and looking at options to reduce ratepayer impact.
The papers show it wants to introduce experiences such as a reflexology walk in Ocean Spa stream and cold plunge pools. It also intends to improve the cafe with new seasonal menus, replace weight machines in the gym and look into energy solutions.
Wise said it had been a balance between operating a commercial facility and ensuring locals had use of the complex as a community hub.
“Places like pools play a vital role in a community, beyond their core function. They are central social hubs, where community can connect and interact. They help ensure the community has a range of options for fitness and wellness activities. They raise social capital and help build a stronger more active community,” she said.
“Ocean Spa is a premium visitor destination. It has everything required to make it a valuable proposition for Napier including its setting and the experience it offers.
“As much as we need more of our facilities to take care of themselves financially, we also have a responsibility to ensure we are providing quality recreation and leisure opportunities for our own residents.
“We are one of only a few councils in New Zealand that has such a wide range of facilities under its care and ownership. We have to balance running them without burden to ratepayers with creating spaces and places where everyone is welcome and everyone wants to be.”
