A sneak peak at the South Waikato Aquatics Centre

Summer's coming and so is the return of Tokoroa's indoor public pools. After 19 months of upgrades, the South Waikato Aquatics Centre is due to open on October 3.

The $17 million revamp has added a sauna, a spa-and-plunge pool, poolside showers and increased mobility access.

The upgrades have provided additional poolside space, and the community room has been revamped as well.

The facility, formerly known as South Waikato Indoor Pools, has adopted a new name, South Waikato Aquatic Centre, to better reflect what is now on offer to visitors, the South Waikato District Council said.

In a statement, South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley said a major investment was required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the 30-year-old facility.

"Without this investment, we risked losing the facility for good," Petley said.

"A patch-up-and-go approach simply wouldn't have worked."

Petley said the upgrades meant the facility would last for decades to come.

Aotearoa: A drowning hotspot

Water Safety NZ says New Zealand has a high fatal drowning rate compared with other Western nations such as Australia, Canada and the UK.

Our 10-year average as of 2025 is 1.6 drowning deaths per 100,000 of population and for 2024 it was 1.7. In comparison, Australia's per capita rate is 1.12 and Canada's 1.3.

The worst year for New Zealand drownings was 1985, when 164 people died.

As of this week, 64 people have drowned in 2026. At the same time last year, the toll was 45. Last year 79 people drowned and in 2024 the total was 74.

While providing a safe place for residents to swim, the previous South Waikato Indoor Pools also had a variety of swimming lesson programmes for residents of all ages.

"Rangatahi have learned to swim and be active here. Countless celebrations have been held," Petley said.

The swimming lessons will continue in the new centre, and a full schedule will be provided coming up to the reopening.

"We recognise how important the place has been to our community," Petley said.

"This redevelopment will ensure it can continue serving our community for generations to come."

The installation of new filtration and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems would reduce the overall running costs of the facility over time.

Local Democracy Reporting was invited to a guided tour of the new facility before the reopening. A spokesperson on the tour stated the sauna and spa-and-plunge pools, along with the mobility ramp in the main pool, were designed to make the Aquatics Centre versatile for sporting and health use.