Citizens’ assembly on outdoor pools

Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in our citizens’ assembly.

This was Whanganui’s first-ever citizens’ assembly, with the council keen to empower the community to have more direct involvement in important local decisions.

How a citizens’ assembly works

Citizens’ assemblies originated in ancient Rome and are gaining popularity around the world as a way of making decisions that matter to local communities. Through this process a diverse group of everyday people are brought together to consider an issue in depth and make a recommendation on the best way forward.

For this assembly 40 participants were selected at random from the 367 who registered, ensuring group demographics were broadly reflective of our community.

The group attended a series of five meetings in mid-2025, lasting around three hours per meeting.

Independent facilitators guided the group through a structured process with four broad phases:

  • learning – hearing from aquatic consultant Richard Lindsey on the Whanganui Aquatics Network Plan as well as experts in aquatic management and finance, and community members with experience in water sports and aquatic therapies
  • listening – engaging in open discussions and group exercises to hear each other's perspectives
  • deliberating – exploring pros, cons, risks, and priorities to narrow the options
  • recommending – developing proposals to present to elected members.

Each participant was paid a total of $500 for their time to support equitable involvement and remove barriers to participation.

Recommendations

A representative group presented two recommendations to elected representatives on behalf of the wider citizens’ assembly group:

  • upgrade Whanganui East Pool and further develop the Splash Centre
  • expand the aquatic complex at the Splash Centre site and close or dispose of Whanganui East Pool.

Next steps

Whanganui District Council’s elected representatives have received the report and will make a decision at the Tuesday 12 August council meeting.

The council has set aside $2 million in capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year to begin implementing the chosen direction.

Read more in our media release

 

Back to top