Roxburgh’s new community swimming pool should be open in early to mid December, just in time for summer.

Teviot Valley Community Board member Sally Feinerman, the lead person for the Punawai Ora ‘Safe Water’ aquatics complex, told the monthly meeting yesterday, the original opening date was set for December 3, but it could be a few weeks after that.

Coombes Aquatics and Breen Construction have been building the new 25m lane pool, learn to swim and toddlers pool, replacing the 89-year-old facility that was decommissioned on the same site.

New changing rooms, office space and a plant room have also been added to the long-awaited pool project.

The Roxburgh Pool commitee has worked hard over the past 16 years navigating numerous finance, planning and design challenges to successfully fundraise the $2.7 million needed for the project.

Coombes Aquatics posted on its website in April that the tenacity of both community and school committee groups working on the pool project was astounding.

“These hard working people, often holding down full time jobs, have busy families and still find the time to tirelessly fundraise, liaise with contractors and council to ensure their community/school pool projects not only survive, but thrive and become key assets for all to enjoy.”

Teviot Valley Community Board chair Norman Dalley told the committee there had been a lot of talk in the town about the new pool, “and it was good to make that dream a reality.”

Frames for the solar panels went up at the end of last month, which will also provide shade. PHOTO: Supplied

He also noted the new life in the town with the construction of houses, and seasonal workers arriving on orchards.

“It’s like watching the town open up like blossom. It’s just that time of year where things start to happen.”

The town had a lot of community spirit “and people are working their hearts out,” he said.