Tauranga City Aquatics Ltd is hoping to boost its transparency by blogging and showing photos and video of the progress of the Mount Hot Pools redevelopment project.

TCAL CEO Tania Delahunty says improving transparency is important for the Tauranga City Council controlled organisation.

'We acknowledge that the communication and dialogue surrounding the hot pools needs to be improved and so it is our intention to give the public the opportunity to not only have their say, but to see what we're seeing as our contractors lift the concourse and start the remedial works” says Tania.

People will be able to read the history of the pools, subscribe for regular updates, and get factual information on the events that led to its sudden closure earlier this month.

'If people can see how problematic and aged the current infrastructure is, it will improve their understanding of our drive to have the facility re-developed,” says Tania.

'We knew that we had inherited a legacy system that was aged and without ‘as built' plans – and now the inevitable has unfortunately occurred.”

While undertaking the repairs, TCAL is taking the opportunity to upgrade the pipes and future proof the facility.

Electrical conduits will be installed in the ground alongside new pipes, valves and some old plants will also be replaced says Tania.

The benefit of having detailed drawings available for the hot pools' proposed redevelopment means TCAL can quickly respond to the requirement to replacing pipes because products, quantities and prices are specified and the optimum pipe layout and connections plan is already known, says Tania.

'Nonetheless, there is no denying this is a big project and we will be working hard in weather-dependent conditions to have the facility reopened by mid to late September.”

TCAL is offering significantly discounted access to Baywave for regular swimmers as a way to appease any concerns regarding access to swimming facilities at Mount Maunganui.

The Hot Pools blog site is: www.tcalblog.co.nz