Current community sentiment about the proposed Memorial Park Aquatic Centre were considered by Tauranga City Council at its meeting today.

To get a feel for the community’s views on the project, a survey was undertaken by the council over the past two weeks.

Up to $124 million was set aside for the Aquatic Centre through the council’s 2024-34 Long Term Plan.

The council recently paused the project while more information was gathered.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the project requires significant investment from the people of Tauranga, so the council is keen to better understand the full picture before deciding on its future direction.

“This was a project that we inherited from the commission. Before we make any further decisions about it, we felt it was important to check in with the community as ultimately, they will be the ones who fund, use and benefit from such a facility.

“We’re committed to delivering value for money for the community, so it’s on us to understand what our community wants and consider what cost savings could be possible.”

The community survey closed last Friday, and a full summary of the results will be made available at today’s council meeting.

Indicative results show more than 5200 responses to the survey were received, with 73% of respondents in support of additional aquatic facilities in Tauranga.

The results indicate 71% of survey respondents support spending $80-$105m on the Memorial Park Aquatic Centre.

Drysdale said it’s pleasing to see how many people responded to the survey and he and the council are appreciative of such significant community input.

After considering the survey results at Tuesday’s meeting, along with previous community consultation outcomes, stakeholder feedback and other background information, the council is expected to decide whether to recommence the project through to the final design stage.

A livestream of the council agenda and meeting can be accessed here.