Upgraded pool gains approval

A more than $1 million upgrade to Temuka’s 50-year-old community swimming pool has had positive feedback from the public.

The pool was officially opened at the weekend following a delay to work because of Covid-19 that saw contractors working tirelessly to make up for the time lost.

Contractors began splitting the old 33.33-metre pool into a sixlane pool, a 25m one for competitive swimmers and a shallower 6m by 12m one for learners at the end of the 2019/20 season. However, Covid-19 delayed the lining from Italy in late June until October 1.

A council spokesman said the pool’s official opening – a pool party last Saturday – had gone well.

Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen and Temuka ward councillor Paddy attended.

‘‘We had a great turnout for the opening – approximately 120 people at the party, and we had about 200 on the day,’’ the spokesman said.

While a daily admission of pool users had not been taken, with representative counts taken at the pool throughout the year, the spokesman said swimming

O’Reilly also squads, clubs and learn-to-swim programmes were running again so ‘‘that makes up a significant proportion of users’’.

‘‘From a feedback point of view people have been really positive about the upgrade,’’ he said.

The new toddlers’ pool is not expected to open until midDecember.

The original Temuka pool was opened on November 7, 1970.