Newly revamped pool thefts, vandalism costs council thousands

Laura Smith Laura Smith | 11-08 00:20

Rotorua's newly upgraded Aquatic Centre has had to deal with thousands of dollars worth of theft and vandalism since it reopened.

There have been 11 incidents of vandalism and three thefts since the Rotorua Aquatic Centre partially re-opened in June following a major refurbishment.

A Rotorua Lakes Council spokesman said the vandalism included broken shower partitions in the changing rooms, steel pin coat hangers pulled from walls, door handles pulled off and shower rain brackets torn off walls.

It cost the council $2964 to fix.

The bulk of this was from one month alone, September, where the cost of dealing with the incidents totalled $2664.

ADVERTISEMENT

This included a contractor hired for $500 to remove graffiti from the men's toilet walls, doors and showers.

"We also had to hire a contractor to repair a shower handrail that was ripped from the wall. The repair cost was $207."

There were three thefts that month: five shower hoses were stolen from the accessibility change rooms, a wash basin with a mixer tap and drain was taken from the family change room, and a shower head was stolen from the men's outside disability change room.

The total cost of these was $1957.

No one had been identified in relation to the incidents.

"Vandalism and graffiti impact negatively on how a place looks and affect how people feel about it.

"It's always disappointing to see public buildings, playgrounds, and other areas damaged or defaced by people who choose to do the wrong thing. Our public spaces are meant for everyone to enjoy, and these sorts of activities ruin this experience for everyone."

ADVERTISEMENT

Boiler failure, flooding, at performing arts centre

A hot water cylinder failure at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre resulted in flooding at the bar on the ground floor in September.

The cylinder tempering valve was faulty and its overflow tray's wastepipe was unable to handle the leak's flow.

On-site staff cleared the surface water and a plumber repaired the issue for $300.

A contractor removed skirting boards to dry out and dehumidify the area, costing $73.

The council spokesman said there was minimal disruption to the centre's services, as it happened while no events were on and the skirting boards were out of public view.

It took two to three days to complete the repairs.

ADVERTISEMENT

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.


ALSO READ

Gold prices see drop in local and international markets

Listen to article In a major shift in the local gold market, the price of 24-carat gold per tola dec...

Bank of England cuts interest rate as UK inflation hits three-year low

The Bank of England on Thursday said it was cutting its key interest further after UK inflation hit ...

US Fed Reserve to cut rates amid economic uncertainty under second Trump term

The US Federal Reserve is expected to reduce its benchmark policy rate by a quarter of a percentage ...

Last 28th Māori Battalion veteran Sir Bom Gillies dies, aged 99

Sir Robert 'Bom' Gillies, the last surviving member of the 28th Māori Battalion, has died. He was 99...

RSA seeks new pokie consent after 'honest mistake'

Whakatāne's Returned Services Association has made a plea to council for help to reopen its gaming r...

Drugs, theft, safety fears: Tourism village's emergency housing motel impacts

A claim that emergency housing motels have not impacted tourism in Rotorua has been rubbished by one...