Milestone for Naenae Pool project with AECOM confirmed as key partner

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry has welcomed a key milestone in the project to rebuild Naenae Pool, with the appointment of AECOM to provide Project Management Services.

This appointment kicks off the next stage of the project between Council and the Naenae community, and formally lays out the next steps for rebuilding the Pool and revitalising the town centre. AECOM will partner with Council to coordinate and manage this once in a generation project for the people of Naenae and the wider Lower Hutt community.

“We are thrilled to have AECOM on board to progress the next stage of the Naenae Pool rebuild and revitalising the town centre,” says Lower Hutt Mayor Mayor Barry.

“They will bring significant experience and expertise in project management and aquatic facility construction management to ensure we can deliver the best possible result for the Naenae community, Lower Hutt and aquatic sports.”

AECOM was selected from an extremely strong field of more than 20 companies who expressed an interest in being involved.

“This partnership includes an agreement that all workers on the project will be paid at least the Living Wage and they’ll also be looking for opportunities for local companies and service providers to contribute,” says Mayor Barry.

“With the Naenae town centre spatial plan also recently approved by Council, things are really starting to gather momentum.”

The next steps in the process involve geotechnical testing and site preparation, and early next year the project team will be working with the community on pool design which is the next big milestone. As part of the design conversation the project team will be looking at new sustainable technologies which will limit the impact of the pool on the environment.

“We’re currently working through a process of converting many of our existing facilities including pools from gas to electricity. With the new Naenae Pool we have the opportunity to set a new benchmark for our facilities,” says Mayor Barry.

Ian Martin, AECOM’s Wellington Regional Manager, says the team is looking forward to delivering a top-quality aquatic facility for the people of Lower Hutt and pool users in the wider region.

Funding for the pool project will be included in the draft 2021/2031 Long Term Plan, which will go out for public consultation in March 2021. The Government has also announced $27 million co-funding for the project a COVID Response and Recovery initiative.