Mount Maunganui residents are disappointed the opening hours at Mount Hot Pools will not be extended.

Julie and Jim Carle petitioned Tauranga City Council to return the pools to the 6am opening time used before the Covid-19 pandemic, instead of the current 7am.

The pair presented their petition with 127 signatures at an October council meeting. Julie Carle told the meeting the pools were a “unique, essential rehab and health and wellness public facility”.

The later opening time was not serving community needs and was causing “disharmony” between the walkers, swimmers and aqua class members, she said.

Council decided to retain the current opening time of 7am at a City Delivery Committee meeting on Monday.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale said it did not “make financial sense to be opening earlier”.

The cost of opening an hour earlier Monday to Saturday would be an extra $162.50 a day, a report to council said.

Julie Carle told Local Democracy Reporting the decision was “disappointing considering we got such a positive response from the council” at the first meeting.

“The decision doesn’t service the demands of local workers, disabled, those recovering from injury, [or the] elderly. Has council business trumped local interests and concerns?”

It was also disappointing the decision took six months and there had been no communication with them during that time, she said.

Bay Venues operations general manager Tina Harris-Ririnui agreed with council’s decision as there was a need to “balance venue access with financial prudence and value for money”.

Bay Venues is a council-controlled organisation that manages council facilities, including pools and leisure centres.

Harris-Ririnui said staff loved the community’s passion for the celebrated Mount Hot Pools. Many residents made a visit part of their daily or weekly routine.

“We also need to ensure this venue remains economically sustainable so the community can enjoy it for many more years to come.”

Mount Hot Pools opened earlier than most equivalent pools nationally, many of which opened at 9am or later, she said.

BayWave in Mount Maunganui was an alternative that opened at 6am, Harris-Ririnui said.

Its leisure pool was heated to 32C, the same as the Mount Hot Pools hydrotherapy pool.

“The leisure pool is perfect for lane walking and there is plenty of available space at this time of morning,” she said.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.