SWIMMERS say common sense has gone out the window at Freyberg Pool; to meet “health and safety requirements”.
Kirsten Cameron is a New Zealand distance freestyle and open water swimmer who swims about 60km a week, much of that at Freyberg. Until recently Cameron, who trains solo among members of the public, has been able to get her morning swim done before work starts at 10.
A change in management has seen the early squads unable to get in to the pool as they have been, and the delay is causing backlog and pressure on members of the public, many of who already feel there aren’t enough lanes available in Wellington.
The problem first affects the Capital Swim Club, who have traditionally started training at 5:45am, and finished at 7:30am.
“[New management] noticed that when the squad get into the water it is before the lifeguards actually start work - lifeguards arrive at the pool at 5.30am, but they don’t actually start work until 6am.  So they said it was a Health and Safety issue that swimmers were in the water before the lifeguards were on deck,” explains Cameron.
The Capital Swim Club now enter and leave the pool 15 minutes later than usual, and when it comes to training before work that’s a substantial amount of time.
“If most people are training for an hour or less, that’s at least twenty five percent of their training time gone,” says Cameron.
A sight-impaired swimmer who needs an outside lane and has to wait for the squad to finish, now barely has time to swim.
Cameron talked with Freyberg management, saying other clubs around New Zealand are allowed in pools at 5.30am, when there were no lifeguards on deck, because the club takes responsibility for the swimmers in their care.
Management said the issue was with the council.
“It’s ridiculous that it’s a Health and Safety issue – half the swimmers in the squad are lifeguards themselves, and then on top of that, they are training and have an adult coach supervising them, who can swim pretty well himself,” says Cameron.
Cameron has filed a submission with the Wellington City Council, supporting their proposal to investigate building another swimming pool, as part of the draft annual plan that is currently being considered. The proposed site for the pool would be alongside the Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie, and a decision will be reached on June 28.
WCC director of city services Neville Brown says the council is investigating more immediate remedies to problems of congestion at both Freyberg and the WRAC.  
“We’re looking into opening the pools earlier. We expect to make a decision at the end of this month,” he says.
A council spokesperson adds that the often-underused aquajogging lane will close from July 4.