Citizens’ assembly on outdoor pools

Registrations are now closed

Want to help shape decisions on outdoor swimming in Whanganui, including Whanganui East Pool? We're trying something new – a group of local people (called a citizens' assembly) will be paid to discuss and debate the future of outdoor swimming in our district.

If you’d like to get involved, register your interest before midnight on Sunday, 16 March.

Forty participants will be randomly chosen from those who register – the random selector tool uses demographic information only to make sure those selected reflect the Whanganui community.

How a citizens’ assembly works

Citizens’ assemblies originated in ancient Rome and are gaining popularity around the world as a way of making decisions on topics that matter to communities. It gives a group of people the opportunity to look at all sides of an issue and make a recommendation on the best way forward.

Those selected for the citizens’ assembly will need to attend a series of meetings (four to five meetings, lasting around three hours per meeting). Each person will receive a total of $500 for their time to make sure everyone can afford to get involved.

Why this is happening now

During last year’s long-term plan we proposed closing Whanganui East Pool due to upcoming costs but community feedback showed how much Whanganui East Pool and outdoor swimming in general is valued. So we kept the pool open for another season and commissioned a study on future options for outdoor swimming facilities.

That study is nearly done and the citizens’ assembly will review it before making a recommendation to our Mayor and councillors in May, setting out their thoughts on the best way forward for outdoor pools. The recommendation will feed into our elected representatives’ decision-making on swimming pools during the annual plan.

Read more in our media release