SWIMMING POOL TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR WHAKATANE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 78, 19 December 1949, Page 5

SWIMMING POOL TO BE INVESTIGATED

FOR WHAKATANE

The old question of a public swimming bath at Whakatane was again discussed by the annual meeting of the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce on Thursday night when it was decided to investigate the possibility of having a pool built in the town. A sub-committee was set up to go into the question and the chamber decided to write to the Department of Internal Affairs inquiring about any subsidies for such amenities.

Raising the point of a swimming bath Mr S. Cave said he thought one could be built if the business people of the town combined and went ahead with the project. At Whakatane if any young people wanted to do any swimming they had to go to the river or beach, which could not provide the facilities offered by a bath. He considered the chamber should take the matter up.

While he agreed Whakatane needed a swimming pool Mr H. G. Warren said the trouble was lack of money. When the question had been raised before it was felt the town needed more important facilities first such as sewerage and water schemes. But there was a site set aside in the Domain for a bath, he added.

If a scheme for a pool was adopted Mr S. Whitworth suggested that a substantial grant might be obtained from the Department of Internal Affairs.

Mr W. G. Clavis said that it seemed to him Whakatane was never able to afford anything that other towns of a comparable size did. On this point Mr G. A. Wilkes said he considered Whakatane had growing pains. It was going ahead so fast it was not able to provide proper amenities. He thought there should be some organisation in the town that raised money to help provide these amenities. Given the requisite lead he felt sure that the people of Whakatane Would help themselves. The sub-committee appointed to investigate the matter is Messrs Cave, Wilkes and G. Kemp.