On Tuesday 25 August at an Extraordinary Meeting of Council, elected members decided on the location of Stratford district’s new pool development. Through a vote, it was decided that the pool be developed on the sports field to the north of the hockey turf.

This option meant Council would overturn its earlier decision of co-locating the pool with the existing TET Multi Sport Stadium.

This decision wasn’t without some good debate from elected members, who each took turns to speak to the pros and cons of the two site options under consideration.

Two motions were put forward almost simultaneously in favour for both locations, which led the committee to conduct two votes by decision on each option.

These votes resulted in a six to five win in favour of locating the pool on the sports field to the north of the hockey turf.

Stratford District Mayor Volzke stated that both options have some strong advantages and disadvantages.

“What we set out to do, and what was decided as part of the Long Term Plan three years ago, was to build a new pool. We’re very lucky that the Government has come forward with $8 million in funding towards this, something that will alleviate some of the costs to ratepayers going forward,” says Mayor Volzke. “It’s exciting to now be able to get on with that work.”

Elected members were in agreement that this development is a momentous occasion in Council’s history, which, regardless of location, is going to provide our district and the wider region with a facility that the community can support and be proud of.

Fourteen members of the public were in attendance to hear the discussion and outcome of the decision.

The next step will be to confirm detailed designs of the pool development to start construction in 2021.

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