Tauranga City's pool opening hours will remain the same but swimmers will have to pay more to use the Tauranga City Council owned facilities.

During this week's Annual Plan deliberations, councillors voted in favour of keeping the status quo in pool hours, meaning community pools – Greerton, Memorial and Otumoetai – also keep their seasons from October through to April.

Memorial Pool swimmers Anneil Yeatman and Mary Parker. Photo: Tracy Hardy

Councillors voted in favour of increasing community pool fees by five per cent. This means per swim adult entry will increase from $3.90 to $4.10 and children from $1.90 to $2.

Baywave entry fees will increase by two per cent, or 10 cents, from $7.30 to $7.40 for adults and children and seniors from $4.80 to $4.90.

The fee changes come into effect from July 1.

Council's planned cost cutting measures for the various pools astonished many swimmers during the annual plan process with clubs fearful the change would mark their end of the club's future.

There were 195 submissions on the aquatic opening hours and fees and 14 on the Otumoetai Pool alone.

Councillor Clayton Mitchell says this is one of the big annual plan issues put forward by the community and even though council has listened the slight increases must be made to improve cost cutting.

Councillor John Robson says the decision shows councillors are willing to listen to the community and address concerns and problems.

'If you ask us for something we will consider and we will act,” says John.

Councillors also voted to keep control of Otumoetai Pool instead of vesting it to Otumoetai Swimming Club after swimmers inundated council with submissions against the proposal.

The decision would have cut $370,000 off the city's budget, but councillors agree this is not something the club is ready to take onboard.

Mayor Stuart Crosby says this is a potential liability for council, but agrees they need to run it opposed to the swimming club with the option of upgrading it or 'disposing” of it to someone else at a later date.

Councillors Bill Grainger and Clayton Mitchell agree pools are a community resource that is needed by the community and is in council's best interest to stand by that.

Council now must find the $370,000 elsewhere if they are to keep rates increase to the proposed 6.7 per cent.