Council to promptly review geothermal pool bylaw following coroner's recommendations

Rotorua District Council (RDC) is taking prompt action to review its Geothermal Safety Bylaw. The council says the bylaw review could result in amendments that reflect recommendations made by Coroner Dr Wallace Bain following an inquest into two spa pool deaths in 2007 and 2008.

RDC regulatory and support services manager Jim Nicklin said the council had only received the coroner’s findings yesterday [Tuesday] but was already on the case and putting a plan of action in place.

He said it was pleasing that the coroner had no criticism of the council or of pool operators in Rotorua and that Dr Bain had pointed out that both parties had “gone to considerable lengths” to ensure that pools were safe.

“That objective of keeping pools safe will be front-of-mind for the council and pool operators as we work together to review our local bylaw,” said Mr Nicklin.

"The continued safety and wellbeing of spa pool users was of paramount importance and the council was determined to ensure everything possible would be done to ensure people could continue to safely use thermal pools in Rotorua.

“We will be making some recommendations to a meeting of the council’s Planning & Bylaws Committee as early as next month [April] around a process for reviewing the existing bylaw. We would hope by mid-June to have reported back to the committee and be ready to release a draft bylaw for public consultation if any changes are required.

“This process would involve addressing each of the separate recommendations made by Dr Bain in his report and consideration as to how these could be implemented. Some of the individual recommendations will be relatively easy to put in place and others will be more challenging for the council and pool owners.

“Our aim at this stage would be to have completed the entire process, and be in a position where the council could finalise changes to the current bylaw, by the end of September this year.”

Mr Nicklin said that the council would be calling a meeting of local thermal pool operators in the immediate future to discuss the coroner’s findings and his recommendations.

“We have a very positive and cooperative working relationship with these businesses and most have already put in place a range of safety measures on a voluntary basis, many of which are over and above the requirements of our existing bylaw. We would anticipate they will be keen to build on these measures wherever possible. The operators’ concerns for safety are totally in line with those of the council and their input into redrafting our bylaw will be pivotal and welcome, as will be comment from the general public.”

Mr Nicklin said that in the meantime visitors to Rotorua and other users of local geothermal spa pools can rest assured that they can continue to use the pool facilities in safety, as hundreds of thousands of people do every year.