N.Z. Swimming Council hits at pool changes

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32678, 6 August 1971, Page 10

N.Z. Swimming Council hits at pool changes

The proposal to increase the learners’ pool and delete the training pool from the Centennial Pool to fit it for the 1974 Commonwealth Games was viewed with concern by the council of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association at a special meeting last evening.

A special sub-commit-tee of three was set up to meet the City Council and discuss changes which the association believes are necessary.

The committee comprises the chairman of the association’s council (Mr M. R. Duckmanton), Mr A. J. Donaldson, the chairman of the Games swimming committee; and Mr F. Tomlinson, a quantity surveyor, who was appointed to keep a watching brief on the pool plans for the association. The latter two are also members of the association’s council.

The greatest concern of the council was that it had not at any stage been approached by the City Council to express its views on the recent changes, which it considers undesirable. Mr Donaldson, who led a

delegation to the council on Monday afternoon said nobody had consulted anybody about the changes. “They came completely out of the blue to everybody,” he said. At its annual meeting two weeks ago the swimming association requested an urgent

conference with the City Council to discuss the layout of the pool, which, in some places is considered unsuitable for competition.

NO REPLY There had been no reply to the letter, and Mr Donaldson personally rang the Mayor (Mr A. R. Guthrey) and the delegation was granted a special meeting on Monday. It lasted 10 minutes before the council began a special meeting over the cost of the pool. Mr Donaldson said he was amused that the Games pool committee had not been shown the proposed plan changes before they were

n brought before the City Couni- cil. y “The matter has gone bey yond the silly stage,” he said, e “All we are asking is that we I. be consulted to try and save j something of the pool.” Having the learners’ pool t would be useless, said Mr

Donaldson, and the association should endeavour to perhaps have the training pool reduced from 33 1-3 metres to 25 metres. Then

it could be used as a training pool, and for teaching purposes in the future. DIVING TOWER “The whole crux of the matter is the diving tower, which they (the City Council) will not remove,” he said. “We told the council we would be willing to discuss the pool at any stage, but have been completely ignored,”, Mr Donaldson said. “All the work appears to be done inside a department, and the majority of the City Council people are unaware of the ramifications,” he said. Unless the City Council was prepared to compromise on the changes the association wanted made to the pool, the association would not accept them, he said. “UNSATISFACTORY”

Mr D. F. Stewart said that either through professional ignorance or professional arrogance there was an unsatisfactory situation, and someone should say something about it.

"Someone with guts has to come forward for the sake of the pool and get the City Council to get the community behind it.” Originally there was a 33 1-3 metre training pool in the design, but there was no space for it, Mr Donaldson said.

“The council said we wanted it and we said yes —but only if the space for it was available. “We don’t want arguments with the council but the contractor said if the pool is not started in a couple of months he can’t guarantee it will be finished in time.” Mr Tomlinson said firstly the site was too small to house the pool, and that it appeared some people were perpetuating the existing diving tower as a personal monument. “It is taking up 10 or 11 feet of water space we don’t want, and if they got rid of it, it would solve the whole problem.” APPROVAL DENIED Mr Donaldson said the City Council said the association had approved of all the plans. Mr G. S. Brockett, president of the association said when the pool was finished in 1974 and it was not up to requirements, the City Council would say we had the opportunity to speak. “Someone has to be the scapegoat,” he said. “But we are saying loud and clear that we have not been consulted over the changes. “We are not out to break the scheme.” Mr S. V. Williams said: “We want to be nothing less than as co-operative as possible with the City Council.”

Mr Williams moved that the special sub-committee be appointed “to prevent the disaster which is looming at the moment.”