Last bastion of the free swim faces user-pays tide

It's the last place in New Zealand where getting into a public pool doesn't cost a cent, but Manukau City may be about to follow other areas into the world of user-pays.

A bid to ends the city's tradition of free swimming pits veteran mayor Sir Barry Curtis against the youngest councillor, Jami-Lee Ross, elected last year at the age of 18.

The move has raised fears that many Manukau residents, who include people from some of the region's poorest suburbs, will stop visiting the council's six pools.

Sir Barry was not at Thursday's annual plan meeting when councillors voted nine to six to recommend a user-pays pool proposal.

Mr Ross, a former Dilworth School swimming champion, called for an entry fee of $2 for an adult and $1 for a child. Pools in other areas charge between $2 and $7.

"People like to say, 'Oh, there's lots of poor people and they should have access to exercise facilities.' Well, we've got plenty of parks [and] every person in the city lives within a couple of kilometres of a beach," said Mr Ross.

Sixteen-year-old Junior Enua, swimming at Mangere's Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa pool yesterday, said he would not use the pool if he had to pay.

"I just come to have fun," he said. "I don't want to waste my money coming for a swim."

In the main public pool, six schools were competing in the South Auckland Intermediate Schools Swimming Championships.

The organiser said charges might affect youngsters learning to swim. "They would have to learn in their school swimming pools. A number of schools here don't have pools."

Sir Barry said free swimming "enables young people, especially those born poor at no fault of their own, of which there are many, and also older people ... to enjoy a basic recreational facility".

When the council last debated pool fees in 1999, it was estimated that visitor numbers - about 1 million a year - would drop by 300,000. The council will debate the matter again on March 23.

But, said councillor Colleen Brown: "It is not easy for a Manurewa child to hop in the car and go to the beach. They just don't do it."