Marton Swim Centre

At its meeting on Thursday 9 April 2026, Rangitīkei District Council approved the appointment of a contractor to deliver the Marton Swim Centre project.

The Marton Swim Centre has been closed since August 2024 following a partial roof collapse. Since then, Councillors and staff have worked to find a repair option that balances affordability for ratepayers with the community’s desire to see the facility reopen and remain a valued asset for years to come.

Rangitīkei Deputy Mayor Dave Wilson says the project is about more than fixing the immediate damage.

“This project was never just about repairing a broken beam. It’s about restoring an important community facility and setting it up for the future. The reroofing is a key step towards creating a space our community can be proud of.”

The decision followed robust discussion around the financial implications of the project, which is estimated to have a total project cost of around $6 Million. Nine Councillors voted in favour of appointing the contractor, with three against.

Council has also secured a substantial private funding contribution that will make the project more affordable for our communities. The remaining costs will be met through external funding and existing budgets.

Councillors who supported the decision highlighted the importance of the facility for Marton residents and the wider region, noting it is the only indoor 50m pool available.

Tiikeitia ki Tai (Coastal) Ward Councillor, Coral Raukawa says the decision reflects a long-term view for the district.

“This is a mokopuna decision. It’s about leaving Rangitīkei in a better place for future generations.”

The concept design for the new roof will modernise the facility and allow for potential future upgrades, including the possibility of year-round use, something residents have consistently asked for.

Central Ward Councillor, Alan Buckendahl says Council is mindful of both community expectations and financial pressures.

“We hear our residents. We know progress can feel slow at times, but we are working hard to deliver what our community wants while being responsible with ratepayer money.”

Council acknowledges that the project timeline means the swim centre is unlikely to reopen before February 2027, resulting in another missed summer season.

Deputy Mayor Wilson says it's disappointing not to be open for the coming summer, but the decision provides certainty for the facility’s future.

“We understand this will be frustrating for our community. But this decision puts us in a position to deliver a better facility, including the potential for year-round access, which we know is important to many residents.”

With the contractor now appointed, Council staff will move to finalise contract details to ensure construction can begin as soon as possible.

Residents will continue to receive updates as the project progresses.

As this is such a significant project for Rangitīkei residents, we took the time to meet the tenderers in person to understand more about their experience, capability, and refine costs.

Tenders closed and evaluations began. This process involved evaluating each tenderer against a criterion to understand their capability and experience.

Tenders opened for the roof replacement project with ETFE roof.

• Building consent was completed.
• A quantity surveyor prepared updated cost estimates.
• Tender documents were prepared.

• Detailed design was completed.
• The building consent process began.

No update while waiting for the erosion assessment report.

Additional engineering work was commissioned to assess soil erosion near the Tūtaenui Stream and any potential impact on the site.

• The first stage of work was confirmed, and design began.
• Ground conditions were tested through a geotechnical survey.

At this stage: The timeline for the design was expected to be completed by the end of October 2025, followed by a tender process expected to be finalised by the end of February with a Contractor expected to be on site by early March 2026.

Scope documents were subsequently prepared and presented in the following meeting:

Council Meeting Order Paper - page 73

Council approved progressing to detailed design, building consent, and tendering.

The agreed scope included:

1. Replacing the roof (with improved ETFE design)
2. Strengthening the main pool hall
3. Council Meeting Minutes - page 9

Work began to define the scope of repairs – i.e. How we were going to practically execute the 1B option. This work was largely guided by affordability and priority needs, with the ultimate intention of presenting options to Council for consideration.

At a Council workshop on 28 May 2025, councillors were presented with three options for a re-roof:

1. direct replacement,
2. ETFE roof to improve light and insulation
3. An insulated membrane enclosure.

The direction from this workshop was for staff to explore the ETFE (translucent) roof in scoping documents for the project.

The Assets & Infrastructure Committee considered the 4 options in more detail with presentations from the engineers who supported council staff with the optioneering.

In the following Council meeting, Council were presented with a report for decision. This decision report included the 4 options discussed, along with additional alternatives of permanently closing the facility, removing the roof of the pool to make it an outdoor facility, and demolishing the whole facility and building new (either on the existing site or somewhere else). Council decided to:

1. Not permanently close the Marton Swim Centre
2. Progress with the base upgrade option (Option 1B)
3. Accept a generous offer of external funding to support this project.

Minutes from Council Meeting

Council received the full assessment and was presented with four options:

• Option 1A: A quick fix to return the facility to its previous condition
• Option 1B: A base upgrade (including a new roof, improved systems, and strengthened structure)
• Option 3: Further staged upgrades over time
• Option 4: A redesigned facility with a long-term vision

The 4 options presented ranged in cost estimates from less than $1m for 1A to around $12m for option 4.

Council Order Paper

Council staff progressed with phase 2 of the condition and compliance assessment - adding costs to the identified upgrades and grouping them into priorities.

With the pool closed, staff carried out a full condition and compliance assessment of the entire facility. This assessment was split into two phases. Phase 1 involved mapping the work needed. This included assessing the buildings, pools, pipework, filtration, and heating systems.

• Detailed investigations were completed during phase 1, including site inspections, drone imagery, and pipe testing.

Councillors discussed a temporary repair option to allow the pool to be opened for the upcoming swim season. The repair involved installing a brace in the pool that would hold up the roof.

While opening the pool would’ve been ideal, ultimately councilors had concerns about health and safety risks so voted against the temporary repair.

Taking earlier community feedback into account, Council agreed this was an opportunity to look at the whole facility - not just a short-term fix.

Council decided to keep the swim centre closed for the 2024/25 season to allow time for a full assessment.

Staff were asked to develop long-term options and costs for the facility. As a result, further engineering advice was commissioned to better understand the roof structure.

Minutes from Council Meeting

• Part of the roof structure failed, causing a partial collapse. The swim centre was closed immediately. This was an unfortunate and unpredictable situation that had not been accounted for in Council’s budgets.
• A specialist structural engineer was brought in to investigate the cause and advise on repair options.
• Temporary scaffolding was installed to make the building safe while investigations continued.

Council asked the community, as part of the Long-Term Plan 2024-34, whether the Marton Swim Centre should stay open year-round. Feedback supported keeping it open.

At this time, no issues with the building were known, so upgrades or repairs were not part of this consultation.

Following consultation, Council evaluated the feedback to keep the pool open, and committed to competing a full asset condition assessment to determine the level of investment that will be required to keep the pool closed during winter.