Splash Palace to get poolside entryway upgrade

Getting poolside at Splash Palace will soon become even easier with work set to begin on creating a new entrance.

From Monday, 23 June, contractors will be on site to carve out a new entryway between the entrance to the male changing room and the customer service area.

The north wall of the male changing room will be demolished, and the area will be shortened a little to make way for the new poolside entrance.

Invercargill City Council Manager Aquatic Services Steve Cook said he’d heard the feedback that the current location of poolside entry, through the family changing area, was inconvenient for spectators.

He wanted a visit to Splash Palace to be an enjoyable experience from the get-go, for those swimming and those observing.

“That includes ease of access, and it makes sense to have a poolside entry point directly next to the customer services area instead of having to go through the family changing area, so we are upgrading to improve the flow.

“This will create an accessible one-way flow for the entrance and exit of visitors to the poolside, and it will make navigation easier for people with disabilities and limited mobility.”

While work is under way, the male changing room will be accessible via the normal exit to the changing room, through the family change area.

Construction work will mostly be done during the night to minimise noise and space disruption during the day. There will be no interruption to use of the pool, and all changing areas can still be used.

Once finished, the male changing room will be slightly shorter in length, but there will still be plenty of space for changing, Cook said.

“This is just another exciting upgrade we are making to ensure it continues to be a premier facility in the South.”

The upgrade is expected to take about six weeks.

Splash Palace remains fully operational throughout the upgrade. All pools and changing rooms are open, so you can continue enjoying your visit as usual.