Tauranga’s mayor is “disappointed” $4.7m was spent on “ridiculous” plans to overhaul the Memorial Park aquatic centre, which his council has abandoned.

Mahé Drysdale said the majority of the money was “wrapped up” before the new council arrived.

“We are pretty disappointed that so much money has been spent on a project that hasn’t gone ahead in its current form.

“We’re not particularly impressed with how much was spent and how we’ve got there, but it is what it is.

“We are very focused now on actually achieving that value for money going forward.”

Plans for a new $105m aquatic facility at Tauranga’s Memorial Park were paused by the council in October last year.

The project started in 2021, during the government-appointed commission’s time, and $4.7m was spent on design and investigations, up until October last year.

The money spent included $2.1m on engineering, $1m on concept and detailed design, and $200,149 in Tauranga City Council staff costs.

Drysdale said the project cost and money spent was a “wake-up call” for the council to pause the project and figure out the best way forward.

An artist's impression of the abandoned $105m Memorial Park Aquatic Centre. Image / Tauranga City Council

“We just looked at that and said: ‘this is ridiculous’. We can deliver the same facility, we believe for tens of millions of dollars less.

“We’ve now come up with what we believe is going to be a much better value project by starting again.”

Last month, the council decided to redesign the proposed facility to scale it back and change its location within the park.

The aquatic centre with indoor and outdoor pools would now be built on the site of the current Memorial Park pool.

The council approved $50,000 to develop concept designs for the new facility. There was no estimate for the full project cost as yet.

Drysdale said the council hadn’t set a budget, but early indications were for a top limit of about $80m.

How it was funded would change, and the council would be “leaning on” funding partners, he said.

A project steering group, including councillors, would guide the next stage of design.

Some of the previous aquatic centre plans for filtration and air system designs could be used in the new centre’s design, Drysdale said.

The Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre will remain open until at least 2041. Photo / Alex Cairns

The council was also saving $2.4m in demolition costs by keeping the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre.

The youth centre and Memorial Hall would remain operational until 2041, when earthquake strengthening would be required.

Keeping the centre meant there would be three additional indoor courts available for the next 16 years, which Drysdale said could not be built elsewhere for less than $21m.

“We think that offers a huge amount of value.”

Asked if it was in the community’s best interest to start the project again, Drysdale said: “A hundred %. There’s not a shadow of a doubt in my mind.”

Drysdale said since taking office, the council had worked hard at a new way of doing projects that delivered value for money.

“That has meant a number of projects have been paused or stopped.”

The new way meant the council defined the problem it was trying to solve, then decided what they were prepared to spend to solve that problem, he said.

“We are very determined to get better value for the ratepayer around delivering some of these capital projects.”

That message had been delivered to council staff, and they were responding, Drysdale said.

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