Taradale Primary School pool project gets tick of approval from MOE

From left: Brendon Rope, David Trim, Fraser Holland, Andrew Palairet, Rachel Read, John Merrick, Charlie Drager, Marty Hantz and Tania Wain with approval document. Photo/Supplied

The Taradale community can breathe a sigh of relief after the Ministry of Education approved a business case to reopen the local pool.

Potential structural issues shut Taradale Primary School's pool in December 2016, affecting thousands of children and adults who used it each year.

Shortly after the pool's closure the Taradale Community Pool Trust was established to reopen the facility and this week finally received the news it had been hoping for.

On Thursday the ministry notified the charitable trust its Pool Reopening Business Case had been approved, meaning the quest to raise $550,000 to complete the project now begins.

Taradale Primary School principal Marty Hantz said he was over the moon with the decision.

"This is all about our kids learning the life skill of swimming and how to survive in the water.

"The pool is used by other local schools for their aquatic education so while the ministry's decision is great for our school it is also a huge benefit to other nearby schools."

Fundraising team chairman Fraser Holland previously told the public the trust aimed to reach the reopening cost by securing $200,000 through fundraising agencies and the remaining $350,000 through the wider community.

He was optimistic the funding target would be reached, with the trust having already received donations and pledges of more than $35,000.

"To complete the business case the Hawke's Bay business community has provided pro-bono expertise and services totalling more the $40,000 and this has flowed on to the quotes received to complete the construction," he said.

Trust chairman Brendon Rope said they had pre-empted ministry approval and approached several businesses about funding the project with promising feedback.

He was excited about the ministry's decision after the trust's hard work and expected to see funding grants from agencies in the coming months.

"We want kids to be able to swim again. I've got three kids at school and they can swim but they're missing out on regular opportunities to swim because there isn't a pool."

The pool's plan was expected to be a "like for like" model with a replacement solution projected to take four to six months from start of demolition to completion.

The charitable trust is expected to meet later this month with Youthtown, which runs aquatic facilities, to discuss the charity being a subsidised pool operator.

Those wishing to donate to the Taradale Community Pool project can visit www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/taradale-community-pool-reopening-fundraiser.

Alternatively to make a sponsorship contribution or more significant donation contact Fraser Holland via email to taradalepool@gmail.com.