New jumping platform for Lake Hood, Canterbury

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

People will soon be jumping at the chance to dive into Lake Hood in Canterbury.

A jumping platform is under construction at the lake south of Ashburton and will be finished by the end of March.

Council people and facilities group manager Sarah Mosley said the jumping platform will be a unique recreational feature at the lake.

“It should attract those who previously enjoyed jumping from the canal bridges, as jumping from the bridges is not safe because watercraft passing under them create a hazard.”

An algal bloom warning is in place at Lake Hood, but the platform is being built at the northern side of the lake extension, which is currently a separate body of water.

It will eventually be connected to the lake extension, as it expands through future development, Mosley said.

“To allow for a 4m jumping platform, we needed a 4m purpose dug hole to enable safe jumping as nowhere in the existing lake is more than 3m deep.

“The jumping platform will be able to be used by the community at any time.

“Basic water rescue safety equipment will also be provided, but the onus is on users to be confident swimmers as it is not a supervised swimming location.”

The jump platform is part of $200,000 recreational water facilities improvement projects, which are being funded from the $4.19m the Ashburton District Council received from the Government’s Three Waters Reform Better Off Funding in 2023.

At EA Networks Centre, $15,200 is being spent on a water wheelchair and pool inflatables, an inflatable obstacle course in the Learn to Swim pool, and an inflatable tower slide for the main pool.

Funding has also been distributed to the community pools for changing rooms and water treatment equipment.

The Hinds Pool ($48,200) had alternations to Plunket rooms to become changing rooms, and new changing rooms were approved at the Rakaia Pool ($39,500).

For the Tinwald Pool, $36,100 was spent on surveying, concepts and design work for a potential rebuild.

The Hinds Pool also received new pumps and a new chlorinator ($19,500).

New chlorinators at Mayfield ($3,300) and Rakaia ($2,400), and chemicals for pool water quality at both Mt Somers ($400) and Ruapuna ($400) were also funded.