Khandallah Pool at risk from flooding

By Frank Neill

Khandallah’s swimming pool is at risk of flooding from the nearby Tyers Stream and the potential for slope instability on the adjacent hill, a technical report commissioned by Wellington City Council has identified.

Climate-change modelling predicts that this flood risk will increase, the report says.

The site for any new pool would need to be reduced from the existing footprint and raised vertically by 1.8 metres to mitigate the flood risk.

Completed in April, the report covered flood modelling, a geotechnical report, infrastructure review and a site analysis.

It identified significant challenges and costs associated with mitigating resilience and vulnerability.

In addition to this, investment is required to improve core infrastructure to support the build of any new pool.

Specifically, installation of a dedicated transformer and installation of below-ground attenuation tanks.

The report also highlighted parking constraints due to the changes required at the site.

“It’s great to have the technical report completed as we now have a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of some of the challenges posed at the pool site,” Kym Fell, the council’s Chief Customer and Community Officer, says.

“There is more work to be done to fully identify what is possible and to understand the needs of the community.

“A detailed options assessment will commence to explore what the relative merits, risks and costs are of the various options that the council could now pursue given the new technical advice.

“It will be important to consider the impacts climate change will have on a site like this when we assess all viable options for the future,” Mr Fell says.

Council officers met with a stakeholder group of the local community on 22 June to share the findings of the report and discuss next steps.

The council will work collaboratively with the community to reach a decision for the future of

An information session on dementia will be presented at the Newlands Community Centre from 4 to 5:30pm on Tuesday 25 July.

Entitled “Navigating Dementia 101” it will cover dementia’s causes, types, stages, services and supports, as well as having a focus on living well with dementia.

Anyone who knows someone with dementia – family/friends/neighbours/ health sector – would benefit from this information session.

To register for the session, email the Dementia Wellington’s Dementia Advisor, Tina, at tina@dementiawellington. org.nz. The session is free to attend, although a koha would be appreciated.

Wellington and Hutt Valley Community Law hold free clinics at the Newlands Community Centre on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 11am to 1pm. No appointments are necessary.

the pool and park.

Timingsare yet to be determined but the council will meet again with the stakeholder group within the next month followed by a wider community meeting.

The report on the Khandallah Pool is at https://wellington. govt.nz/your-council/projects/ khandallah-pool-upgrade.