Alpine Aqualand celebrates its first birthday over Queens Birthday Weekend with three days of family-orientated festivities - and what a year it has been.
The $18 million Frankton-based swimming pool first opened its doors to the public on May 31, 2008 after almost 11 years' planning, consultation and development.
Since then, 144,142 swimmers have gone through the doors, contributing to more than one million visitors who have visited the Queenstown Events Centre complex since it opened in 1996.
New programmes have rolled out, attracting an average of 13,383 customers a month. The peak month was January, when post-Christmas visitors took the number to 15,511.
However, the pool has been struck by technical faults and the fast-speed hydroslide was revealed to have caused 69 minor injuries in its first eight months of operation.
Public ire was raised repeatedly when Lakes Leisure restricted pool access for popular private swim schools in favour of encouraging the in-house learn-to-swim programme and covering an energy cost shortfall.
Alpine Aqualand costs $1.016 million to operate a year, $506,000 of which is funded by ratepayers - or $59 a ratepayer. However, that aquatic centre charge could rise by 24% to $73 a ratepayer from July 1, as proposed in the draft Long Term Council Community Plan.
The rest of the year's operating costs are met by user payments, such as memberships, pool entries, hydroslide passes and in-house swim school fees.
Powering the facility was budgeted to cost $188,000 for the year, however, the cost had risen to $264,000, as of April 30.
Lakes Leisure's aim is to make Alpine Aqualand pay for itself. The council-controlled organisation said first-year revenue figures would be available in July, after the end of the financial year in June.
Clive Geddes says Alpine Aqualand has done "exceptionally well and out-performed predictions", and he thinks the community is extremely proud of the facility.
Mr Geddes said Alpine Aqualand had had normal teething problems, but these were expected and they had been resolved quickly.
He reaffirmed the council's view on access to the pool by commercial swimming schools in his letter sent to about 80 residents and councillors earlier this month.
He wrote that in order for the community to get the most value out of Alpine Aqualand, it was necessary for community programmes to have priority over private swimming schools. Existing space available to private learn-to-swim operators would be maintained.
The council had accepted evidence from the Lakes Leisure board that Alpine Aqualand would earn $108,000 less for the 2010 year by providing pool space to private coaches than by delivering classes itself.
"This additional cost can only come out of the pockets of local ratepayers," Mr Geddes wrote.
Mr Geddes told the Queenstown Times that Alpine Aqualand was paid for by the community.
Its job was to provide a wide range of programmes for the community.
"It needs to have full access to its facility in order to deliver those programmes and I think they've done very well to accommodate some capacity for [private operators]."
The project manager
Ken Gousmett has been involved with Alpine Aqualand since its inception.
Mr Gousmett said the high point of the past 12 months was the public opening and seeing the excitement in children's faces.
There were faults, and they were not desirable "but not entirely unexpected", given the complexity of the centre, he said.
"These things have caused inconvenience to operator and users but they have not come at council cost."
One problem was the temporary closure of the fast-speed hydroslide in December.
"But the injuries were not serious and it's a balance between safety and thrills," Mr Gousmett said. "We're probably erring towards safety and will do some investigation into seeing if we can reintroduce the thrill to the hydroslide in a safe manner."
Swimming school operators
Limited access to Alpine Aqualand for commercial learn-to-swim classes continues to grate with the owners of Wakatipu Swim School and Water Discovery Central Otago, five months after Lakes Leisure placed the restriction.
Wakatipu Swim School director Jane Hughes and staff instruct 81 residents, from 6-month-olds to adults, on Sundays from 12.45pm to 3.45pm, in the learners' pool and a further two hours in the lap pool.
While contractually unable to comment at length about Lakes Leisure, Mrs Hughes said Alpine Aqualand had given families "an opportunity to more quickly extend their swimming skills because they are not only able to attend lessons, they can practise at other times".
When asked about her hopes for the next 12 months, Mrs Hughes said she was "wishing for council to act on the community's requests for more choice throughout the week for learn-to-swim programmes".
Water Discovery Central Otago owner Emma Carpenter said while Aqualand was a great facility, Lakes Leisure had created a monopoly after sidelining the private swimming schools.
"Locals haven't felt heard about what they want. If there was more choice in learn-to-swim programmes, there would be more people swimming because we all offer something different.
"Competition can be an asset because it also ensures the standards are kept at a high level."
The chief executive and the manager
Fiona McKissock says Alpine Aqualand's first birthday celebrations are a great chance to celebrate what has been achieved over the past year.
Participation had exceeded expectations and staff has done a good job under the leadership of Lakes Leisure facilities general manager Cam Sheppard and aquatics manager Alex Calwell, with many new programmes in place and more planned.
Project issues had been "sorted out" by Ken Gousmett.
Energy costs were higher than expected but the costs of any facility in its first year were difficult to forecast. Project managers did their best to forecast the costs, she said.
Ms McKissock said the goal of Lakes Leisure was to make Alpine Aqualand financially self-sustaining, but it was too early to say when that would happen.
The complex was facing a 7% cost increase, which could be offset by revenue streams, including the swimming school programmes, the shop and the soon-to-be-opened gym.
The success of the Aqualand Swim School was a high point.
"It's rewarding there are now 500 families taking part in a really excellent, professional learn-to-swim programme."
Mr Sheppard said the plan had never been to squeeze out private swimming school operators by restricting their access.
"It's been about maximising the opportunity for the community to access learn-to-swim classes."
The councillor
Cr
In a Queenstown Times forum in March, Cr Gilmour wrote she was appalled when Lakes Leisure announced that Wakatipu Swim School and Water Discovery Central Otago were effectively cut out of Alpine Aqualand.
"I hope there proves to be more room for compromise on this," she said recently.
"But we did get commitment from Lakes Leisure that the required access for Queenstown Swimming Club was guaranteed."
Cr Gilmour said she was concerned about how much ratepayers were having to subsidise the facility and she was working on a proposal that would mean more affordable access for local low-income families. However, she declined to go into details.
The customer
Arrowtown resident Sally Hoskin brings her daughter Brigette (10) to the Alpine Aqualand Swim School every week; and they have been enthusiastic users of the complex since it opened.
The Arrowtown School teacher said she thought the swim school lessons were well organised and was pleased to see instructors in the pool with the pupils.
"The groups aren't too big, and I thought the pricing was good for the area. I know in Invercargill we had to pay for pool admission, as well as the coaching."
Mrs Hoskin said she had always been very interested in where the facility was to be built and what it would offer the community.
"There are plenty of lanes for adults to swim in while the kids have fun, and there seems to be good patronage from what I've seen. I have noticed the older high school age group here, which is nice."
Mrs Hoskin said she had attended aquatic fitness classes in Invercargill before and was interested in Alpine Aqualand's get fit swimming squad.
