After years of eager waiting, Mosgiel people will have a new aquatic centre with the opening of the state-of-the-art Te Puna o Whakaehu next month.

Mayor of Dunedin Jules Radich will officially open the pool on Monday, 19 June. He says the pool is a significant achievement for the Mosgiel community and particularly the Taieri Community Facilities Trust, which raised $4 million towards the $19.2 million facility.

“This is an exciting new facility for Mosgiel people and a fantastic showcase of everyone’s hard work. We listened to the community and have incorporated the features they wanted. This pool will make a world of difference to many families,” Mayor Radich says.

The Trust chairperson Irene Mosley says, “The Trust is delighted that the facility is about to open. This will be an amazing asset for our community, who have contributed generously to this major project.”

The public are invited to attend the official opening on Monday, 19 June. People are asked to assemble at the front of the building at 9am. Taieri College Kapa Haka and the Mosgiel Brass Band will be part of the celebration which will culminate in the facility being open for the first day of operation at 10am.

On Saturday, 24 June a fun family event is being organised by the Trust at the pool. Public swimming will be free all day and from 10.30am to 3pm there will be a pool party with inflatables and free refreshments.

The facility is fully accessible for everyone, with ramps into every pool. The complex includes a leisure pool for recreational play, a learn-to-swim pool, hydrotherapy pool and spa pool. The main eight-lane 25m lap pool will feature timing touch pads at both ends, premium starting blocks, an accessibility ramp, and a soft rubber-like lining. The hydrotherapy pool will be available for rehabilitation, therapy and recovery.

There are poolside showers, a multi-use meeting space for community use and accessible changing rooms.

“We want everyone to have fun at this new facility. It is truly a facility for people of all ages. People can come here to go swimming, enjoy inflatables and toys in the leisure pool, soak in the spa or try aqua jogging in the hydrotherapy pool,” Mayor Radich says.

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