Te Puna o Whakaehu opened in June last year to much fanfare.
Data from the Dunedin City Council’s draft annual report shows 160,251 visits to Te Puna o Whakaehu were recorded in the 2023-24 year.
The old Mosgiel Pool had an annual attendance target of 44,000.
"We’ve got a lot of bang for our money ... we've ended up with a result that really suits our community."
While there was no set target for the pool’s first year, Mr Simms estimated attendance was double what had been expected.
"Overall, it's been really well developed and delivered — we're absolutely thrilled to have the facility out here."
It was vital locals had a place to learn to swim and exercise, particularly as the population grew, he said.
"We were taking our kids in twice a week for swimming lessons to Moana Pool. They're now going to lessons at Te Puna, so it's saving an awful lot of car trips."
Pool staff had dealt well with "teething issues" and the overwhelming response from the community was how welcoming the staff had been.
The pool cost $19.2million to build.
The name, given by Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, and design gave the pool a spiritual feature — adding interest to the facility, he said.
A council spokesperson said the council was pleased with attendance.
"The hydrotherapy pool has been particularly popular with the public, and we’ve seen lots of families, schools and clubs using the facility for fitness, education and recreation, which is great," they said.
While the council had not determined an annual target for the pool, "strong visitor numbers nevertheless highlight the popularity of the new facility".
Moana Pool recorded 605,898 visits over the same period.
