Millennium Institute expansion welcomed

Government plans for a $40 million expansion of the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health, New Zealand’s world class sports training facility based on the North Shore, to provide an international standard aquatics competition facility suitable for both elite and high performance swimming events and also for local public use was welcomed today by North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams.

“The expanded facility will provide a world class 50m by 25m Olympic Swimming Pool for elite swimming athletes to train and show off their skills in competition, and also provide the Shore with a top rate facility for ‘learn to swim’ and water safety instruction for our children, and for local swimmers to hone their skills and fitness,” Mayor Williams said.

“I am delighted the government has chosen to make this considerable investment on the Shore, and the Council is pleased to make a contribution, to the tune of $10 million, subject to approval by the Auckland Transition Agency.”

Mayor Williams said that wider benefits will flow to the North Shore community.

“Swimming New Zealand has based its high performance programme at the Institute and Triathlon New Zealand and Surf Lifesaving New Zealand are regular users of the aquatics facility. Our own North Shore Swimming Club and North Harbour Water Polo Club are also based at the Institute, and the expansion will allow them to boost their membership with the new facilities,” Mayor Williams said.

“The Institute also provides water safety and aquatics programmes to over 50 North Shore schools and is a major provider of swimming lessons to North Shore young people, services that will be expanded due to the new facilities.”

Mayor Williams thanked Prime Minister John Key and Sports Minister Murray McCully for their commitment to sports and health on the North Shore.

“Both the Prime Minister and the Sports Minister are North Shore Members of Parliament and their keen personal appreciation of the North Shore lifestyle and the sport-loving nature of the North Shore is reflected in the government’s decision to allow wide public access to the new expanded facility,” Mayor Williams said.

Mayor Williams said the Council also remains fully committed to the construction of the Northern Aquatic Centre in Albany in 2012/13 which will be a community pool that will provide additional recreational swimming facilities for the rapidly growing Albany community.