North Shore Times (New Zealand)
All Blacks game shuts new community pool
Maintenance issues, overcrowding and car-parking woes have marred the first months of Albany Stadium Pool.
The long-awaited $21 million facility opened in late January and has had a number of closures since.
The community has raised concerns that the pool, which is located on the same grounds as QBE Stadium, is impacted when the stadium is hosting a large sporting event. The pool closed early due to the All Blacks match on September 16.
Access to the facility and car parking outside is restricted during events, including North Harbour’s Mitre 10 Cup home games.
The Auckland Council-run pool facility has 30 designated car parks and pool users are directed to park in nearby Hooton Reserve when these car parks are full. However, these are also used for the overflow stadium parking.
In response to comments on the Albany Stadium Pool Facebook page about parking on game day, the pool operators said: ‘‘The stadium staff block off the car parks before a big game and we agree it is frustrating to look over and see an empty car park while people using the pool are struggling to find a parking spot. We are continuing to work with the stadium to find a better solution for this ongoing issue’’.
Auckland Council’s head of active recreation Rob McGee said options being considered include more designated spaces, better signage and control mechanisms on event days, and options to increase the carparking capacity on the precinct.
For a second time this year, the pool facilities at the complex will soon be closed for an extended period of time. From October 2 until October 28, the swimming pools, spa and sauna will be closed for maintenance work, including replacing electrical wiring. The timing of the closure, which coincides with school holidays, has been questioned by parents.
‘‘We know families enjoy using the pool over the holidays and recognise the closure will be disappointing,’’ McGee said.
In March, the toddlers’ pool, slide activity centre and splash pad closed for a week for urgent maintenance, so tiles and sealant could be repaired.
In the first few months of operation there were reports of users waiting up to 35 minutes to get inside the complex due to the pool quickly reaching capacity of about 250 people.