Swimmers search for other pools after Marton Swim Centre roof collapse

Structural damage to a beam caused a partial collapse of the roof at the Marton Swim Centre. Photo / Rangitīkei District Council

The closure of the Marton Swim Centre for this summer means swim clubs will have to find alternatives in the short-term, but Whanganui Swimming Club board member Aaron Bunker supported Rangitīkei District Council having an eye on the future.

Last week the council voted to close the Marton swimming pool for the summer season after a partial roof collapse - with uncertainty about what the full cost of repairing the pool will be.

In August, structural damage to a beam caused a partial collapse of the roof.

Mayor Andy Watson said the decision to close the pool was about focusing on getting it back to being fit for purpose long-term.

An early estimate from a council report into the damage outlined the repairs as costing $1-2 million to fix, but Watson said it was likely to cost more.

“I can’t give you an estimate but it’s fair to say it won’t be a cheap process,” Watson said.

“I would be surprised if we can do it for under $2 million but I would be very, very happy if that were the case.”

Marton Swim Club volunteer instructor Rebecca Sorensen said the news did not come as a surprise after the partial roof collapse, but the fact the pool was going to be closed all season was disappointing.

The Marton Swim Club is currently exploring options to continue providing swimming lessons for children throughout the summer season.

But Sorensen said most of the options were outdoor pools at schools which limited when their season could begin as it had to be warm enough for children.

“It’s tough enough because most of the kids in our swim club only swim for half a year as it is, and now to miss a full season could potentially make it difficult on their swimming journeys.

“Some of the schools around here have school pools so they should have some swimming, but not every child is going to have access to it which is frustrating.”

Watson said they were looking at alternative options for swimming lessons in Marton.

“The decision not to open was built around several factors, there was a concern from the operators as to whether people would be able to swim safely, and whether they would want to swim in a pool surrounded by reinforcing.”

Sorensen said it would likely mean a delayed start for their swimming season.

In terms of future repairs she said the swim club “just wanted a working facility, whatever that looks like”.

Whanganui Swimming Club board member Aaron Bunker said whilst it was a shame the facility wouldn’t be available for the upcoming summer, it was positive that the Rangitīkei District Council had a future-focused view.

He said Whanganui District Council missed the opportunity to redevelop the Splash Centre into a better facility by prioritising investment in other large-scale projects.

“It’s a worthwhile asset for a rural community to have.”

The Whanganui Swimming Club will now have to travel to Hāwera, Palmerston North or Feilding for 50m training.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.