Two options presented for swimming facilities – citizens’ assembly

Published on 16 July 2025

Whanganui’s first-ever citizens’ assembly has delivered a recommendation on the future of the district’s outdoor swimming facilities – putting forward two distinct options for consideration. Elected members will make a decision on the future of Whanganui’s swimming facilities, including Whanganui East Pool, at the next council meeting on Tuesday, 12 August.

The first option put forward by the citizens’ assembly is upgrading Whanganui East Pool and further developing the Splash Centre.

The second option is expanding the aquatic complex at the Splash Centre site and closing or disposing of Whanganui East Pool.

The citizens’ assembly process brought together 39 participants selected to reflect a cross-section of Whanganui’s population, including strong representation from Māori, younger residents, and those living in Whanganui East. Over five weeks, the group worked through a facilitated process of dialogue, learning, and decision-making to arrive at the two options.

Whanganui District Council chief executive, David Langford, says the goal of the citizens’ assembly was to get the community deeply involved at the outset of a decision, rather than backloading engagement to the end of the process by surveying the community once recommendations have been developed, as councils usually do.

He says the assembly has been a real success, with the group playing a pivotal role in an important community decision.

“We want to thank every member of the citizens’ assembly for their unwavering commitment, open-mindedness, and the respectful way they approached this challenge.

“The two options presented show the calibre of their discussions and reflect the diverse values, perspectives and priorities of our community.”

He says reaching the end of the citizens’ assembly process is the culmination of a landmark engagement process for the council.

“We’ve tried a new way of involving the community in complex decisions and it has worked,” he says.

“From 367 expressions of interest, the group was selected at random to reflect our district’s demographics. They brought their lived experience and insights to the table and navigated complex ideas together. The council is grateful for their contribution.”