West Wave Pool user vents frustrations
First poo in the water, now cockroaches – West Auckland’s only public swimming complex is under fire again, this time for its lack of maintenance.
Te Atatu¯ Peninsula resident Lindsay Donald said he was tired of paying almost $1000 for an annual membership to use poor facilities at the million dollar West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre.
He voiced his frustrations at his local board meeting on February 20, complaining that maintenance work closed facilities for long periods of time.
Donald said he wasn’t getting his money’s worth, especially when cockroaches were a regular sight at West Wave.
‘‘Last year they closed the sauna down for 12 weeks to change the seating,’’ Donald said.
‘‘It took them nine weeks just to get the materials. Even after they fixed those seats, splinters were coming off the timber so it closed the sauna down for a further four weeks.
‘‘And the light inside the sauna hasn’t been fixed. There has been cockroaches in the sauna.’’
Donald said he and several other members regularly raised issues with West Wave management.
Auckland Council head of recreation Rob McGee said they acknowledged members’ frustrations but they worked to solve issues when complaints were received.
He said council sometimes restricted access to facilities during maintenance work because of health and safety reasons.
‘‘We will always work to rectify any issues as quickly as possible to minimise disruption to patrons,’’ McGee said.
‘‘The health, safety and wellbeing of our customers and staff is our number one priority.’’
McGee said West Wave, one of the largest swimming pool and leisure complexes in New Zealand, had received millions of dollars worth of maintenance work in the past.
West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre was built in 1989 for the the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
It received planned refurbishments every year, the most recent last year which cost $1.6m.
McGee did not respond to a question regarding the sightings of cockroaches.
Westwave recently cracked down on toddlers who didn’t wear swim nappies after a wave of code browns.
Last summer there were 22 faecal-related incidents.