It may not look like much from
the outside, but
Stage
Two
work is continuing at full speed behind the construction fences at
the Rotorua Aquatic Centre.
Underneath the shrink wrap, the front of house roof is nearly
complete. Once that is finished, the front of house scaffolding will be
removed to allow contractors, Naylor Love, to get to work on
installing the main pool hall roof.
The main pool hall structural steel is now installed, and the
roof beams are currently being fixed into place, and contractors are completing
framing in anticipation of the windows being installed in the very near future.
Heading into the last few months of construction, the physical
work will be a lot more noticeable once the external structure is complete, and
work can begin on the aesthetic side of things – like painting, tiling, and
fitting out the indoor pool hall.
Aquatic Centre staff are looking
forward to welcoming the public back into the refreshed indoor space early next
year. In the meantime, the outdoor 50m heated pool remains open for the public
to use coming into the summer months.
Find out more information about the
Rotorua Aquatic Centre revitalisation on our
vision
to action
page, or watch the latest video update on our Facebook.
Background information
Council began work on the Rotorua Aquatic Centre redevelopment
in 2020.
The initial upgrades (Stage One) focused on refurbishment of the
50m outdoor pool and the outdoor changing rooms and these were completed in
March 2021.
This stage (Stage Two) focusses on the revitalisation
of the indoor pool hall, reception and indoor changing room area.
As part of consultation for the 2018-2028 and the current
2021-2031 Long-term Plans, the community told Council that it values the
Aquatic Centre as a facility for locals to use and enjoy with clear community
feedback supporting the upgrade.
Together, Council and Central Government will contribute $23.45m
to Stage Two of the project, with the refurbished facility anticipated to open
in early 2024. Rotorua Lakes Council received $8.05million in October 2022 from
Central Government. This funding was Rotorua Lakes Council’s entitlement under
the Three Waters Reform ‘Better Off’ fund, which Council determined would be
used to progress the Aquatic Centre project.
