The Hastings District Council has decided that the health and well-being of Hastings citizens, particularly those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, is unimportant.

Frimley Pool, built in 1967, has been a base for our city ever since. It is one of only two swimming places under the council's jurisdiction that serves a specific purpose: a family-friendly outdoor swimming pool with space for a picnic and community barbecues.  It is an accessible and affordable place for many to have birthday parties and family outings. Its closure is a travesty.

The other, Village Pools in Havelock North, is in one of the wealthiest suburbs in the Hawke's Bay region. Over the years, Village Pools has received appropriate funding to upkeep the infrastructure for it to remain open. Frimley's has not.

Havelock North means an increased driving distance for families in Flaxmere and eliminates the ability for people within walking distance of the pools to easily access a service like this.

Other swimming pools posed by the council as an effective replacement with the capabilities of handling increased uptake, I emphasise, are not the family-friendly pools like Frimley's are. These (indoor) pools are often a lot more expensive.

Submissions to the council emphasised the importance of an outdoor venue like this for both physical and mental well-being.

Only four councillors voted to keep the pool open: Malcolm Dixon, Kellie Jessup, Simon Nixon, and Heather Te-Au Skipworth. Apart from one absence (Henry Heke), the rest of council decided that only Havelock North deserve an outdoor public swimming pool.

Hastings families deserve to have a casual, family-friendly swimming pool that is affordable and geographically near.

The purpose of the council should be to ensure that public services like these remain no matter what. The importance of social cohesion, a safe place for young people to congregate with friends (within walking distance and affordable) and physical health cannot be disregarded.

We demand them to place the health and well-being of Hastings citizens above budgetary considerations. Keep Frimley Pool open. Sign this petition to signal to the council that the pool is important to the people of our city.