Te Ngaengae Pool and Fitness Centre will open for business on Wednesday 4 December, following a dawn blessing ceremony earlier that day.

Mayor Campbell Barry said he was excited that after five years Naenae would have their pool returned.

"The old pool was the beating heart of Naenae. Its closure impacted not just local residents, but aquatic sports across the region and local businesses.

"This project has been a true partnership with the community. The Community Advisory Group has been involved from the start, ensuring we delivered on what the Naenae community wanted.

"The opening of Te Ngaengae, alongside Te Mako Community Centre, marks a new chapter for Naenae. The pool isn’t just returning - it’s bigger, more sustainable, and will revitalise the town centre. We expect to see more people spending time in Naenae, supporting local businesses, and bringing new opportunities for the town centre.

To have been there as Mayor when the project started in 2020 and to be there again for the opening in December will be one of the proudest moments of my time as Mayor of Lower Hutt."

The pool is a $68million project, with $27 million coming from central government through investment in Infrastructure Response and Recovery in partnership with Crown Investment Partners.

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The new pool is on track to achieve a Green Star 5 sustainability rating which means it not only has less environmental impact, it will also be more efficient to run. As well as returning a 50m pool, it includes two zoom tubes, a family-friendly leisure pool, gymnasium, pool-side party room and two moveable bulkheads which mean the main pool can accommodate even more activity.

Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa gifted the project a cultural narrative that has informed the design.

The building’s roof is reimagined as an upturned waka, and the entrance features a supporting pou whenua, standing like Tane, God of the forest.

Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa recommended a lead artist to enable art to be embedded in the building.

As well as the health and social connection benefits that will come from the new facility, the project was also designed to deliver wider benefits for the community so that every dollar spent provided the most possible value. This includes using local companies where possible and giving local people employment and training opportunities.

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