First published on 10 September 2024 on Newsline

A significant milestone for aquatics infrastructure in the South Island has been reached, with construction of the 50-metre competition pool now underway at Christchurch’s Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre.

Blair Jacobs of specialist pool installers, Jacobs Construction, says the most recent 50-metre pools to be constructed in New Zealand have all been in the North Island.

"Our team is currently assembling the pool using materials shipped from Myrtha Pools in Italy. Every component has a code allocated to it and a plan that specifies which area it goes in.

“It’s like a big Meccano kit, there are over 500 panels that make up the pool and they are held together by over 10,000 bolts.

"It will be a very versatile pool, with a movable boom that will allow Christchurch City Council to adjust the pool's length and transform it from a 50-metre Olympic-sized pool into two separate 25-metre pools as needed."

The competition pool will also feature a state-of-the-art movable floor at one end, designed to vary the pool depth from 2.2 metres for competitive swimming to ground level, ideal for events and dryland activities.

Crown agency Rau Paenga is responsible for the design and construction of the facility. Christchurch City Council will operate Parakiore when it opens in late 2025.