Lower Hutt's Huia Pool to be bigger and better

Work has begun on expanding Lower Hutt’s Huia Pool, which will double the size of the nationally-acclaimed complex and make it accessible for many more residents.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace and Deputy Mayor David Bassett marked the construction stage of the $9.3 million project with a ground breaking ceremony at Huia Pool today.

Guests included preschool swimmers from Council’s popular Swim City Learn to Swim programme and the project’s design and construction teams.

The new facilities, due to open in July 2017, will include a new Learn to Swim pool and a hydrotherapy pool.

Mayor Wallace says the exciting redevelopment of Huia Pool is great news.

“The addition of two new pools will make Huia Pool bigger and better as part of our vision for a revitalised Lower Hutt with world class facilities. We are providing facilities for particular needs, with the Learn to Swim and hydrotherapy pools, and this in turn frees up existing pool space for other users.”

Deputy Mayor David Bassett, who has long championed the Huia Pool development, says it will give many more residents access to the complex.

“The nearest hydrotherapy pool for Lower Hutt residents is 19 kilometres away in Wellington. The new state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool will give residents one on their doorstep,” he says.

”This has benefits for injury and other rehabilitation, the elderly and other users with particular needs.”

The new Learn to Swim pool will also ensure that Council meets the growing demand across the city for Learn to Swim programmes, he says.

For a short period during construction there will be a temporary entrance to Huia Pool. This will last until the end of September.

The Huia Pool development project partners include Architecture HDT, project managers RDT Pacific, structural and services engineers Opus and Naylor Love Construction.

Huia Pool is one of six Hutt City Council swimming pools.