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Last modified: 20 Jun 2023 1:56pm

A dad and a young boy in the pool near the edge playing with a selection of toys including a blue watering can

One of the district’s most popular facilities is celebrating 10 years of making a splash in Selwyn.

The Selwyn Aquatic Centre is marking 10 years since it opened on 24 June 2013.

The opening was highly anticipated with queues to buy pool passes before the centre even opened.

It quickly became one of the district’s most popular facilities, with more than 3 million visits made to the centre since it opened, and visitor numbers topping 450,000 visits in the past 12 months.

The swim school has also seen steady growth, from 1,400 children taking lessons each term when the centre opened to around 3,300 enrolled each term today, while the centre’s wide variety of aqua fitness classes for all ages draw over 10,000 visits a year.

The centre is a huge long-term asset to the community, Council Chief Executive David Ward says.

“It’s been good to see the steady growth in numbers across all the different programmes and services at the centre. The community has embraced Selwyn Aquatic and it’s been a solid investment for the future of our young and growing community.”

The centre is fully accredited through the Poolsafe Quality Management Scheme and has hosted Swim Canterbury swim meets, scuba diving clubs, sports clubs and teams, physiotherapists and their clients, and Burwood Hospital patients and disability groups.

Over the years, it has also been used for fun nights, pool discos and sports, as well as teaching swimming, exercise classes, sensory time for kids, inflatable fun and more.

With the popularity of the centre growing rapidly, it expanded in 2021, with a new 10 lane 25-metre pool significantly increasing capacity for the centre, along with upgrades to the main pool, changing facilities and foyer and staff space.

“When the Council decided to build the Selwyn Aquatic Centre it was an ambitious, forward-thinking decision. It’s great to see the joy that it’s brought to so many people over the past 10 years and all the joy it will bring for many more.”

The Selwyn District Council would like to thank the  original sponsors who helped raise $1.4 million to support the building of the Selwyn Aquatic Centre:
Lottery Grants Board, The Southern Trust, The Canterbury Community Trust, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, English Masons, Hughs Developments Ltd, McMillan Drilling Ltd, Naylor Love, New World Rolleston, Mark Alexander and Family, Coe Family, Ron and Adrienne Ferriman, Ray White Rolleston, Synlait, Warren and Mahoney Architects, Nigel and Nicola Barnett, Buddle Findlay, Jens and Karen Christensen, LR Cuthbertson, Davis Langdon NZ Ltd, Foster Holdings Ltd, Lions Club of Rolleston and Districts, Adrienne and Michael McEvedy, Douglas Marshall, Barry, Patricia and Hamish Pullin, Rolleston Automotive Service Centre Ltd, Adderley Head – Environmental Lawyers, Jeff and Julie Bland, Independent Signs Ltd, Lincoln New World, Pat Morrison Family, Pegasus Engineering, Jason and Lynley Shaw, The Warehouse South Island Distribution Centre, Margaret Davey, Paul Davey, Chris Kaelin, Rolleston Newcomers, Rolleston Residents’ Association Inc, DWG Scott, Selwyn Central Community Board