23:16:56 Friday 14 March 2025

Mount locals dismayed as pool hours stay the same

Mount Maunganui couple Julie and Jim Carle petitioned Tauranga City Council asking for the Mount Hot Pools to open earlier. Photo / David Hall

A Mount Maunganui couple is disappointed opening hours of Mount Hot Pools won’t be extended – despite garnering 127 supporting signatures.

Julie and Jim Carle petitioned Tauranga City Council to return the pools, which have sat at the base of Mauao for nearly 60 years, to the 6am opening time used before the Covid-19 pandemic, instead of the current 7am.

The pair presented their petition with 127 signatures at an October council meeting. Julie Carle told the meeting the pools were a “unique, essential rehab and health and wellness public facility”.

The later opening time was not serving community needs and was causing “disharmony” between the walkers, swimmers and aqua class members, she said.

The council decided to retain the current opening time of 7am at a City Delivery Committee meeting on Monday.

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale. Photo / David Hall

Mayor Mahé Drysdale said it did not “make financial sense to be opening earlier”.

The cost of opening an hour earlier Monday to Saturday would be an extra $162.50 a day, according to information provided by Bay Wave that manages the pool.

This included staff costs and other operating expenses. Staff were onsite from 6am to prepare the pool and finished at 10.30pm.

Julie Carle told Local Democracy Reporting the decision was “disappointing considering we got such a positive response from the council” at the first meeting.

“The decision doesn’t service the demands of local workers, disabled, those recovering from injury, [or the] elderly. Has council business trumped local interests and concerns?”

It was also disappointing the decision took six months and there had been no communication with them during that time, she said.

The Mount Hot Pools is a popular spot for locals and tourists. Photo / David Hall

Bay Venues operations general manager Tina Harris-Ririnui agreed with council’s decision as there was a need to “balance venue access with financial prudence and value for money”.

Harris-Ririnui said staff loved the community’s passion for the “iconic facility”. Many residents made a visit part of their daily or weekly routine.

“We also need to ensure this venue remains economically sustainable so the community can enjoy it for many more years to come.”

Mount Hot Pools opened earlier than most equivalent pools nationally, many of which opened at 9am or later, she said.

“We want the Mount Hot Pools to be as accessible as possible to our residents and visitors and our opening hours reflect that.”

BayWave in Mount Maunganui was an alternative that opened at 6am, Harris-Ririnui said.

Its leisure pool was heated to 32C, the same as the Mount Hot Pools hydrotherapy pool.

“The leisure pool is perfect for lane walking and there is plenty of available space at this time of morning.”

Background

In 2022, Bay Venues reviewed the number of early morning visits and found the same number of people were visiting between 7am-8am than had been between 6am-8am pre-Covid, Harris-Ririnui’s report to council said.

Currently, Mount Hot Pools averaged 29 visits between 7am-8am on weekdays.

Most early morning attendees were retirees or semi-retired individuals.

The majority of these visits were from patrons who had memberships or passes, which resulted in a “low average spend per head”.

A 10-visit swim pass for an adult was $245.70 and a senior 65+ $169.20.

A 30-visit swim pass for an adult was $737.10 and $507.60 for a senior.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

8 comments

Seriously?

Posted on 14-03-2025 09:02 | By The Sage

How many are going to use it at 6am? Any business owner would know this is probably not a commercially viable proposition. I would like to know the reasoning behind the Carle’s wanting it opened at that time.


Hmmm

Posted on 14-03-2025 11:20 | By Let's get real

A petition with 127 signatures... Really..? If we divide that by two for family groups, it looks even more selfish.
But then we have seen, and still are seeing, council bending over backwards to accommodate minority group issues. Particularly those that seldom use the provided resources... Such as cycleways, Art galleries, Libraries, Council offices and soon to be museums.
We are seeing ever increasing demands of "I Want It" and much less "do we need it". I wonder how long before the memorial park pool complex is presented as a happening thing... DO WE NEED IT or is it just another nice-to-have empire building project..?


Makes sense

Posted on 14-03-2025 12:09 | By fair game

Possibly the only sensible decision that TCC has made. Nothing beats user pays - maybe they could look at increasing the cost to use between 6am - 7am to cover the extra costs? See how keen the users are then !!
Now TCC just needs to look at fluoridating the water to remove the annual $200 000 fee incurred by Mahe Drysdale. No referendum on that in the near future...


The Master

Posted on 14-03-2025 12:24 | By Ian Stevenson

Financial reasons?

So this is about $162.50/day or about $59,000/pa. As the numbers are the same for 6-8am prior compared to 7-8am now, then it is indeed pointless to open the hour earlier.

But then why does this little and small bit of logic not move across to the big stuff... like the $2,000,000,000 to $3,000,000,000 of debt that TCC plans to have in the very new future?

Where is the cost/spend prudence in that? Maybe the number is just so huge that the Councilors are completely bedazzled?


The Mount Hot Pools...

Posted on 14-03-2025 12:28 | By morepork

... are a local treasure (taonga). We are SO lucky to have this unique facility. Depending on the weather, I frequent these pools or Bay Wave (if it isn't sunny) twice a week, minimum. The staff are unfailingly friendly and helpful. I know that this regular exercise is good for both my physical and mental well-being. And the opening hours are adequate to cater for most people. Being open until late gives many working people the opportunity to enjoy the facility also. Opening an hour earlier, would mean increasing the cost for everybody, so that a small percentage of very early birds can be indulged. If you would go at 6:00am (not even on my clock...) why not take a stroll or have an early breakfast and go at 7:00am? Would it really be so inconvenient? I support the Council position in this.


Hot pool

Posted on 14-03-2025 12:38 | By Colleen S. Johnson

I'm a daily user, the current hours suit me fine. At 7am a dozen people would be a big crowd.


pool hrs

Posted on 14-03-2025 17:42 | By peter pan

Baywave at Bayfair opens at 6am for the public to enjoy the facilities .Nice staff and you can paddle as long as you want.


Pricing

Posted on 14-03-2025 22:07 | By Colleen S. Johnson

Did anyone actually look into the pricing for swimming at the hot pools? Tauranga residents 65+ pay $84.60 for 10 swims which is half the price mentioned in the article.


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