Will's Word: Out-sourcing swimming pools could leave users in the deep end

This is a transcript from Will’s Word on Thursday, 1st of August.

I’m going to wade into the Auckland Council swimming pools debate.

Auckland councillors are set to vote on whether to outsource, partially outsource, or stick with the same deal when it comes to the city's 42 swimming pools and leisure centres.

The Public Service Association (PSA) is warning that privatisation could hurt the community and that there hasn’t been enough public input on this idea.

These facilities provide a safe, affordable way for families to stay active and healthy. Moving them to private companies could mean higher costs and worse services.

Right now, 20 of our facilities are already managed by private companies, and there are often issues with this system.

Full privatisation could make things even worse. So there is an argument to be had that we need to keep these places in public hands to ensure they remain accessible and focused on community well-being.

…. That’s Will’s Word…