It’s where countless tamariki begin their swimming journey – and now, the Learners Pool at Invercargill’s Splash Palace is set for a refresh.

Invercargill City Council Manager Aquatic Services Stephen Cook said the pool was in line to undergo a spruce up during the school term holidays in April. The Learners Pool would be closed to members of the public while this work was undertaken.

Replacing the tile flooring in the pool would be a key focus of the work.

“The existing tiles were installed more than 20 years ago when the Learners Pool opened in 2005. While they have served young Southlanders well for a long time, they’re now starting to show their age. It appears the glue has started to let go, which means the tiles are loosening and they are due for some maintenance to address this,” he said.

The pool was used largely by families with young children, and for Swim School classes.

“Infrastructure always needs an upgrade at some point, and we’ve decided to undertake this work during the school holidays so we can minimise disruption to our visitors as much as possible. Replacing the tiles in the Learners Pool during the April school holidays is an ideal time of year to get this sorted, as the Easter break also falls during this period,” he said.

The Learners Pool area would be repainted as well, as this was also last done when the facility was built in 2005.

“Our Leisure Pool and Main Pool will both remain open during this time, and our facility opening hours will remain unchanged throughout the holidays. We are looking forward to showing the children of our community, and their whānau, a fresh and welcoming space upon their return in Term Two,” Cook said.

Swim School enrolments for Term Two are open until 28 April. Meanwhile, reenrolments for Term Three will open on 26 May and new enrolments will open on 9 June.