The Whangamatā Community Board agreed to fund the refurbishment project from retained earnings at a meeting on Tuesday.
Whangamatā Community Board member Terry Walker said the money would come from a pool of funds set aside for projects that had been planned for but not completed.
The project ran into problems earlier this year after the pool closed in March with renovation work beginning in April.
Unforeseen circumstances led to a funding shortfall as the refurbishment was originally estimated to cost $250,000 but had increased to $300,000.
To allow for the work to be undertaken, the pool was initially set to close for about 10 weeks. Due to additional remedial works, the reopening was delayed until late October.
An additional $18,000 had been requested for project costs, on top of an earlier request for $46,000.
Whangamatā Community Swimming Pool committee chairman Rob Boston told Tuesday’s meeting there would not be any more costs sought from the community board for the project.
“We’ve done what had to be done, we are just in the final processes today, just fixing up an extra piece of work we had to do with the concrete work.
“The pool will open regardless; we will make it work but the extra $18,000 will make a big difference to our balance sheet.”
Works have included surface preparations and pool interior repainting.
Walker asked the meeting to support a motion to provide $64,000 for the project.
“If you see the work that is going on there by this group, it’s fantastic. These big projects come with some extras, we know that contingency is always in place.
“This is a major project, and obviously things do happen, but they are right near the end of it.”
Community board member Denis Beaver said it had been a project that had gone over budget but there were other projects that had gone over budget.
“It is a project that has gone over budget, but there are a lot of projects. I think there are certain clubs $300,000 over.
“We have to be careful where we spend the ratepayers’ money, but having said that, hopefully that’s the last of it.”
He questioned policy around retained earnings.
“There is no policy as yet, I think that is something that should be looked at, a guidance for us in the future of decision making, especially when you’ve got retained earnings there.”
When the pool closed, works including draining the pool, surface preparations, and pool interior repainting started.
While remedial work was undertaken additional costs had arisen due to material price increases, extended scaffold hire, external waterproofing of the pool surrounding, resulting in a $46,000 shortfall.
The Whangamatā Community Swimming Pool.
Despite the shortfall, the project continued with the main pool refurbishment.
While it was reported in March that the revamp would cost $250,000, in his chairman’s report for 2023/24, Boston said there were several aspects of the refurbishment that needed to be addressed, bringing the estimated cost to $300,000.
“While the pool itself is in sound condition there are several aspects that need to be addressed, sealing the pool walls from the outside, to prevent water egress and replacement of the lane rope anchor points; the preparation for painting cannot take place until this restoration has been completed,” Boston said.
In 2022, the pool had received a grant of $500,000 from TCDC to install heat pumps, upgrade the chlorine gas system and refurbish the pool, with the help of locally targeted rates.
Boston said this had transformed the pool, allowing it to operate year-round and enabling the introduction of Learn to Swim programmes and a range of aquatic activities.
