Background Story
THE LONG ROAD TO ALPINE AQUALAND
Since the completion of the concept design and report of the Working Party in September 2004, there has been extensive consultation through the special consultative procedure to amend the council community plan to take full account of this project.
During the submission period 606 submissions were received and the Council considered these on 16 February 2005. Of these submissions 462 supported the proposal, 40 supported the proposal but indicated opposition to the proposed funding, 91 were opposed and 13 did not indicate support or opposition.
The council community plan was subsequently amended to provide for a project budget of $18.6 million excluding GST.
Queenstown Aquatic Centre Working Party
| Independent chairman | Alan Macalister |
|---|---|
| Community and swim group representatives | Jane Skinner, Barry Robertson, Mark Taylor |
| Events centre trust representatives | Jeff Turner, Peter Faul |
| Council representatives | Rick Petit, Gillian McLeod, Christine Kelly |
Assisted by Council’s finance manager Stewart Burns and Council’s project manager Ken Gousmett
The Project Team
The project team carried the project from concept design through developed design, working drawings, tendering, construction and commissioning.
- Lead consultant and engineer to the contract - Tony Loughnan, LHT Design Ltd
- Architectural design – Neil Collins, ASC Architects Ltd, Auckland.
- Structural, pool design, water treatment, water circulation, mechanical engineering, fire design – LHT Design Ltd, Hastings.
- Electrical design – LDP Ltd, Auckland
- Landscape architects – Isthmus, Christchurch.
- Quantity surveyors – Rawlinsons Ltd, Dunedin.
- Project manager – Ken Gousmett, Construction Management Services, Queenstown
Main Contractor
In early 2006 Naylor Love Limited was appointed by Council as the preferred main contractor through a competitively tendered process based on the preliminary working drawings. Key Naylor Love staff then joined the design team through completion of the working drawings. Naylor Love competitively bid all of the sub contract packages to allow a lump sum contract to be entered into. This negotiated contract basis secured the main contractor early on and allowed their input into the working drawings. The outcome has been an excellent working relationship between the project team and the main contractor.
QUEENSTOWN AQUATIC CENTRE HISTORICAL PROJECT TIMELINE
| September 2002 | Council takes over the project from The Pool 2000 Trust |
| April 2003 | Council directs that the aquatic centre is to go at Frankton |
| June 2003 | Draft facility mix report published, consultation begins |
| September 2003 | Final facility mix report published |
| April 2004 | Events Centre master plan published – This finalised the site |
| May 2004 | Consultants engaged |
| August 2004 | Concept design published |
| September 2004 | Design report and cost analysis published |
| October 2004 | Developed design commenced |
| October 2004 | Further consultation |
| December 2004 | Commencement of process to amend council’s community plan |
| December 2004 | Urban design panel considers concept design |
| February 2005 | Completion of public consultation and amendment to Council’s community plan. |
| February 2005 | Urban design panel recommendation published |
| August 2005 | Developed design and detailed report published |
| September 2005 | Developed design approved |
| July 2005 | Consent application lodged |
| October 2005 | Consent hearing |
| November 2005 | Working drawings commenced |
| December 2005 | Main contract expressions of interest advertised |
| 24 February 2006 | Main contractor appointment – Naylor Love Ltd |
| 10 April 2006 | First work commences – New netball courts |
| 19 June 2006 | Building consent application lodged |
| Progressively to early July | Tender issue of drawings and specification |
| Progressively from end of June to mid August | Subcontract prices sought by main contractor |
| 14 August 2006 | Building consent issued |
| 23 August 2006 | Main contract fixed price lump sum received |
| 31 August 2006 | Value engineering workshop and councillor briefing |
| 29 September 2006 | Revised lump sum accepted |
| Mid October 2006 | Main contract works commenced |
| Early May 2008 | Construction complete – Handover to the operator |
The first work commenced just two years after the Events Centre published the master plan which finalised the site location for the aquatic centre enabling design to begin.
Construction was completed two years later.
Include photos of construction – see QLDC website
Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Design
It was recognised at the outset that energy costs for an aquatic centre are a major part of the total operating cost and that it was important to minimise these ongoing costs by good design. The building design incorporates many innovative energy conservation features:
- Extra thickness insulation in the roof and walls - 50mm PIR in the roof and 50mm XPS in the thermomass concrete walls. This is approximately equal to 120mm of fiberglass blanket of insulation.
- Double glazed windows with "evergreen" external panes which have low light reflectance and only transmit 33% of solar heat.
- Light coloured roof and upper walls avoids excessive heat buildup in the roof and within the building reducing the solar gain and reduces demand on the ventilation system.
- Heat recovery of the exhaust air provides over 90% of the total energy required for heating the air and water.
- Boost heat is only needed over the winter months and this will be less than 10% of the total energy needed for heating over a 12 month period.
- Motorised pool covers for all pools will reduce energy costs by 30% with a payback period of just 27 months.
- Integrated energy management system.
- Use of Myrtha pool liner throughout rather than tiles results in 30% less embodied energy and 25% less CO2 emissions involved in their manufacture and construction.
- Recycling of all spilt pool water saves energy and reduces demand on the water supply. The pools are constantly treated and rarely need to be emptied.
- Other energy conservation measures include variable air volume fans, speed control of the heat pump compressors, speed control of the heating coil pumps, energy efficient lights with long life lamps throughout the building.
Other innovative features are:
- High quality water treatment will ensure sparkling clear water and low irritation.
- Rapid ventilation will provide a pleasant atmosphere in the pool hall.
Few buildings in New Zealand would equal the energy efficiency and conservation measures incorporated into the design for the Queenstown Aquatic Centre. This is environmentally sustainable design.
FAQs
Our commitment to sustainability
Energy costs are a major portion of an aquatic centre’s total operating cost. That’s why it’s important to have a good building design from the outset so ongoing energy costs can be reduced as much as possible.
Few buildings in New Zealand equal the energy efficiency and innovative conservation measures incorporated into the design of Alpine Aqualand. Some of its environmentally sustainable features are:
• Extra thick insulation in the roof and walls.
• Double glazed windows with "evergreen" external panes which minimise reflective glare and retain most of the heat from the sun.
• Light coloured roof and upper walls to avoid excessive heat buildup in the roof and within the building. This keeps the building cool and therefore the ventilation system can maintain a more constant temperature with greater energy efficiency.
• Exhaust air heat recovery provides more than 90% of the total energy required for heating the air and water.
• Boost heat is only needed over the winter months. This is less than 10% of the total energy needed for heating during a 12 month period. Most heat is recovered from the exhaust air with the heat pump and is used to heat water and the incoming fresh air.
• Motorised pool covers for all pools reduce energy costs by 30% with a payback period of just 27 months.
• Integrated energy management system.
• Use of Myrtha pool liner throughout rather than tiles which results in 30% less embodied energy and 25% less CO2 emissions released during the manufacture of the liner versus tiles.
• Recycling of all spilt pool water saves energy and reduces demand on the water supply. The pool water in all pools is constantly filtered and then returned back into the pool - this way they rarely need to be emptied.
• Other energy conservation measures include variable air volume fans, speed control of heat pump compressors and heating coil pumps, and energy-efficient long life lights throughout the building.
QUEENSTOWN AQUATIC CENTRE
25 Metre Versus 50 Metre Lap Pool – Why Our Pool is 25 Metre
The Aquatic Centre Working Party considered the lap pool length (and number and width of lanes) in considerable detail. Two recreation consultants provided advice and the Working Party met with a number of pool operators in addition to extensive community and user group consultation. The decision to recommend a 25 metre lap pool was based on the advice received but was also influenced by Swimming New Zealand (the national swim competition authority) which published the following information:
On a population basis, New Zealand has one 50m pool per 100,000 people, in comparison to the United Kingdom, which has one 50m pool per 3.5 million people.
On a pool space basis for example, a community could build 1 x 50m ten-lane international pool for $20 million with an available space of 1500m2, or 5 x 25m eight-lane training/community pools with an available space of 2,500m2. This is a 60% improvement in space for a little more investment and would allow a significantly greater geographical coverage for both pool space and funding.
The sport of swimming has significant needs at the learn to swim, training and competition level which are failing to be met as increasing pressure is placed upon pool space from the community in support life style, aquatic sports and learn to swim demands. Swimming New Zealand believe these parallel objectives can be met by development of indoor 25m pools rather than 50m facilities. This also recognises the community can better manage and maintain the development and operational costs of pools of this size.
Swimming New Zealand has developed a national competition policy which identifies the five facilities which will be used for national competitions. Development of new facilities will not guarantee a change in this policy, therefore the development of new facilities should be based upon community needs rather than national competition expectations.
Furthermore Queenstown Swim Club was supportive of a 25 metre pool.
The FINA World Cup Championships alternate between 25m (short course) and 50m annually. For these major international events it is now standard practice to build a temporary pool inside an existing indoor sports stadium rather than expect the host country to provide an indoor facility with all of the necessary infrastructure and a seating capacity of tens of thousands. The 2006 World Championship was held at the Ron Laver Tennis Arena in Melbourne.
Most 50 metre pools are divided into two 25 metre pools and are only used as a 50m pool occasionally, mostly for competitions. Swimming NZ advised the Working Party that there was little likelihood that international or even national competitions would be held in Queenstown, but that planning should allow for regional competitions.
On the financial side lap pools do not generate significant income to offset their relatively high operating costs. Aquatic operators through New Zealand report that most income is derived from water play such as hydro slides and learn to swim programs.
The 25 metre pool at The Queenstown Aquatic Centre will be fully compliant with the FINA (international swimming authority) rules with 8 by 2.5m lanes, 200mm extra space on each side and varying in depth from 1.05m to 2.0m. The lap pool will be suitable for all short course competitions.
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