redevelopment and enhancement project
the redevelopment
Maintaining the distinctly Ngawha look and feel and keeping the pools accessible to our community was at the forefront of the Trust considerations in the Redevelopment and Enhancement project.
The redevelopment and enhancement has included: improved facilities, a flood wall, improved infrastructure (including drainage, the pumping and cleaning systems and parking area), restoration and repair of the pools surrounds (fixing the wobbly rails , dodgy steps and holes in the floors), new shelters and pathways and updated operating system‘s and improved health and safety practices.
The pools’ redevelopment is not just a functional redevelopment but also an opportunity to connect and highlight the cultural significance of nga waiariki through four pou: wai Māori (purity – earth, water, natural), whakapapa (relationships – history, 11 tupuna, Ngapuhi genealogy), takauere (guardianship – kaitiakitanga, wairua) and Oranga (health – physical, spiritual and healing). The story that we want to tell, is the journey we want to take people on as they come to the pools. The story weaves our four overarching pou; shares the interconnectiveness of our atua, land, people and the centrality of the spring within our environment.
The redevelopment and enhancement has included: improved facilities, a flood wall, improved infrastructure (including drainage, the pumping and cleaning systems and parking area), restoration and repair of the pools surrounds (fixing the wobbly rails , dodgy steps and holes in the floors), new shelters and pathways and updated operating system‘s and improved health and safety practices.
The pools’ redevelopment is not just a functional redevelopment but also an opportunity to connect and highlight the cultural significance of nga waiariki through four pou: wai Māori (purity – earth, water, natural), whakapapa (relationships – history, 11 tupuna, Ngapuhi genealogy), takauere (guardianship – kaitiakitanga, wairua) and Oranga (health – physical, spiritual and healing). The story that we want to tell, is the journey we want to take people on as they come to the pools. The story weaves our four overarching pou; shares the interconnectiveness of our atua, land, people and the centrality of the spring within our environment.
why redevelopment?The Trust’s driver is its vision statement: Kia tu tika ai Nga Waiariki i roto o te pono me te tika mo nga uri whakatupu - Nga Waiariki (the springs) will be self-sustaining into the future for the benefit of our mokopuna. The Trust, as kaitiaki for the Springs, has responsibilities for upholding the cultural and spiritual values of the taonga, its long history and securing a sustainable future. This is why we embarked on this journey.
Times have changed significantly since the pools were merely holes in the ground. Trustees over the past 86 years have continued to make improvements including putting up buildings, undertaking pool improvements, putting in pathways and adding safety features such as railings and shelters. The last major upgrade was in the late 70’s with the then new facilities that included an office and mens and womens changing rooms. In 2009 it was clear that the facilities were near the end of their life and the Trust needed to reassess what we needed to do to make up facilities safe, enjoyable and sustainable while also providing benefit back to our beneficiaries and being able to share it with others as we have done for over 100 years. The Trust's enhancement and redevelopment project is about changing the shape of our future in our community in a way that delivers on our cultural, social, community and economic aspirations. The benefits of this project will be felt by the Trust, its beneficiaries, hapu, iwi, local residents, tourist visitors, the mid North and Northland communities 
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Nga mihi - Acknowledgements
The Trust's sincere thanks and appreciation to the following organisations that invested in us to achieve our vision: Provincial Growth Fund, Lotteries, Foundation North, Te Puni Kokiri, Northland Inc, NZ Maori Tourism Our specialist team that managed the construction of the new building, Far North Holdings Ltd for their project management, Henwood Construction Ltd, Far North Roading and all their staff, Ciloarc, Architects, Hawthorn Geddes and the many subcontractors, Roofing Bay of Islands, Block and Plaster, Duraplan Hesketh Plumbing Ltd, Chilltech, Fell Engineering Ltd, Waterproof North Ltd, Ebsa, MJN McNaughton, Josh Inder, Ninety Degree Joinery, Building and Fire Ltd, Metro/Keri Glass Ltd, BOI Electrical, Flooring Concepts, McNabb Painting Our deepest gratitude and respect to Allen Wihongi, tohunga whakairo me nga kaiwhakairo, Renata Tane (Te Runanga o Ngati Rehia), Bernard Makoare, Anthony Collins, Tu Wihongi, Beaumyn Wihongi and akonga from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Kaikohe for the significant and beautiful pou that stand at our place. The journey started long ago and there are many facets to bringing a project such as this together we acknowledge those that have contributed to that Haumi Ltd, Habitat Ltd, Visual Solutions, Northland Accounting Ltd, Te Kotahitanga e Maha Kaha Trust, HQ Consulting, Ridgetop Logging Ltd, Formable Fire Safety Design, Ecosse, Northland CCTV, Aka Productions, Esscose, Shea Pita, Alan Minsen, BOI Planning, Paul White, Chapman Tripp … and all of those not mentioned who have assisted or contributed in some part to the Trust’s journey
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pricing....
There are some robust discussions on the change in pricing. The reason why the prices were so low is the pools have been run by volunteers – the trustees and the pool workers. So in the first instance we need to acknowledge the volunteers contribution, it's only because they volunteered their time that people were able to bathe for next to nothing.
We can no longer operate the pool with volunteer labour - the number of volunteers available to do the mahi has diminished over time; the employment legislation has become stricter around the use of volunteers to run a business; and the Trust has had long term aspirations to be able to provide employment options for our people.
The springs need to be self sustaining into the future. There is a cost to employing people and the only way to cover that cost is to generate income. So there are some cost increases for visitors.
In order to set the admission cost the trust needs to balance a range of factors including the cost of employing people to run the pools (and other operational costs), hours of operation, maintenance and upkeep of the facilities and pools, caring for the taonga, maintaining access, and considering what and how we share it with our own and with our manuhiri.
These considerations have resulted in the Trust developing a split price regime and therefore defining areas to apply those different prices too.
The expectation that our small trust, run by volunteers should subsidise everyone to visit our taonga is not realistic nor possible.
We can no longer operate the pool with volunteer labour - the number of volunteers available to do the mahi has diminished over time; the employment legislation has become stricter around the use of volunteers to run a business; and the Trust has had long term aspirations to be able to provide employment options for our people.
The springs need to be self sustaining into the future. There is a cost to employing people and the only way to cover that cost is to generate income. So there are some cost increases for visitors.
In order to set the admission cost the trust needs to balance a range of factors including the cost of employing people to run the pools (and other operational costs), hours of operation, maintenance and upkeep of the facilities and pools, caring for the taonga, maintaining access, and considering what and how we share it with our own and with our manuhiri.
These considerations have resulted in the Trust developing a split price regime and therefore defining areas to apply those different prices too.
The expectation that our small trust, run by volunteers should subsidise everyone to visit our taonga is not realistic nor possible.