North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Pool capacity queried
Large queues outside Albany Stadium Pool over Waitangi weekend have raised questions about whether the new $21 million facility is big enough.
But Auckland Council says large interest was expected during the opening weeks.
The pool, designed for children to become confident in water, has a capacity of 250. Since the complex opened on January 28, 1000 to 1500 people a day have had a dip.
Pool staff took to Facebook to warn about potential delays over the recent long weekend: even suggesting swimmers have a ‘‘beach day’’ on Waitangi Day.
Residents responded on social media, questioning the pool’s capacity and why it wasn’t designed bigger. Users waited up to 35 minutes to get inside.
Others questioned why there is limited space for adults to swim, with lanes in part of a warm 20m pool. The lane pool at Takapuna is 33.3m long, while Glenfield is 25m.
Stefan Olson from Northcross says the pool is ‘‘brilliant’’ in general but he does not believe it has enough capacity for growth, given the intensification of the area.
Olson likes the warm 20m lanes for swimming but finds the lanes too narrow.
But the complex was always expected to be extremely popular when it opened, says Rob McGee, Auckland Council’s head of active recreation.
The long weekends at the end of summer, when kids are looking for interesting activities, are some of the busiest times for any pool, he says.
‘‘The kids are still off school, it’s summer and we knew that there was a real interest in checking out the [new] pool.’’
Numbers were managed with a booking system on the opening weekend, McGee says.
Over Waitangi Weekend, when the pool reached capacity, people had to wait for other people to leave before they were allowed in.
‘‘Once we get into routine, I’m relatively confident that we will find a better balance,’’ he says.
‘‘But, at times, there will always be potential for us to reach capacity and for there to be some level of wait.’’
The Albany pool is a unique family facility, unlike any of the pools on the Shore, which means it will attract families from a wide area, McGee says.
As more families use the Albany pool, there will be more available space for adult lane swimming at pools like Takapuna and Glenfield, he says.
There is space around the pool for future expansion if needed.
Upper Harbour Local Board chairwoman Lisa Whyte says the pool is ‘‘fabulously busy’’, and the council might have to introduce bookable sessions to manage peak demand.