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Demo starts ahead of $68m rebuild

Matthew Tso

Demolition of Lower Hutt’s Naenae Olympic pool is under way more than 21⁄ years after it was identified as a seismic risk and closed.

A hole torn in the side of the building marks the beginning of a long and expensive journey – up to $68 million – to restore the swimming facility.

Hutt City’s eastern ward councillor, Andy Mitchell, said visual progress on the rebuild had been a long time coming.

‘‘It’s good to see progress. The people of Naenae have been waiting patiently for a while now. I think a few people were a bit sceptical,’’ he said.

Last week, the Hutt City Council released proposed plans for the pool which include a 50-metre pool, leisure and splash pools, a fitness centre and a hydro slide.

Mitchell’s impression of the design was that it was very similar to the old one.

‘‘It’s what’s affordable. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more . . . maybe the inclusion of a programmes pool.’’

He hoped feedback would help shape the pool into a facility that met the community’s needs.

He understood it would be more efficient to run and was pleased sustainability had been considered.

In a statement, Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry said ‘‘demolition brings us a step closer to rebuilding the Naenae pool and restoring the beating heart of the town centre’’.

Many of the pool’s 450,000 annual visitors shopped at the adjacent business area, Hillary Court, which has suffered since the 2019 closure.

Demolition is expected to continue into early next year and construction is projected to be complete by mid 2024.

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2021-10-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

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