Invercargill city council candidate Wayne Harpur says Bluff could replace its aging indoor pool with a new a heated salt water pool on the Bluff foreshore, utilising waste heat from nearby cool stores.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in the Bluff Harbour coaching Bluff and Invercargill children to sail and I reckon the idea is worth exploring. Bluff Harbour is an underutilised asset and Bluff can always do with more attractions,” Mr Harpur said.

“I’ve also spent decades designing and building heating and cooling systems which means I know a bit about the science behind heating this.”

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“Not only will such a facility be popular with Bluff residents but it would be a draw card for people from all over the region and tourists when they will inevitably return to our shores."

Mr Harpur said positives for ratepayers included that an outdoor facility is cheaper to build, salt water is therapeutic and there is an abundance of port side cool stores.

“With a bit of goodwill and some cost sharing, this would be a win/win for the cool store owners and the community to utilise the significant waste heat generated from the refrigeration process to heat the salt water pools.”

“The St Clair hot water pool in Dunedin is a popular spring and summer attraction and the same could happen in Bluff.”

With more than 30 years years experience in the industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) contracting sector, Mr Harpur said he knew the technology would work and it was just a matter of doing a feasibility study to work out what it would take to build such a pool and gain support from the cool store owners.

ICC by-election candidate Wayne Harpur. PHOTO: Supplied

“Using heat exchangers from the cool store refrigeration plant would allow the pools to heated to varying temperatures, lower for the lap pool then higher temperatures in the hot pools allowing patrons to move from one to the other.

“Bluff has been overlooked by Council in the past and this is a project that could benefit the whole region but Bluff especially.

Mr Harpur said he envisaged there would be naysayers.

“I know we can heat it, and if I am elected, I’ll be asking to have this proposal to be presented in the first instance to the Bluff Community Board with a recommendation that they ask Council staff to do a feasibility study to see whether this is possible. I’m sure it is, but as we know, life isn’t as easy as having a great idea. We need to make sure it is financially responsible and achievable.”