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A proposal to outsource the management of all Auckland Council’s pool and leisure centres drew fierce opposition once it was made public (HM July 29).
Concerns included that contracting out management could alter the affordable, inclusive, community focus possible at council-run facilities.
Around half of the centres are already outsourced to organisations such as The Y and Belgravia Leisure – 20 out of 42 – with the rest directly run by council, including the Stanmore Bay Pool and Leisure Centre. In all cases, local boards set service levels.
Behind the scenes, since 2021, council staff have been undertaking a review, triggered by the contracts of privately operated centres coming up for renewal.
Cost effectiveness was the focus of the review and it identified potential savings in contracting out all the centres. Expressions of interest were sought for this option, which Cr John Watson says was clearly the report’s preference.
He says the issue was sprung on councillors recently at a workshop, then came before them for a decision at the governing body’s meeting on August 1.
The options presented were to retain the status quo, fully outsource, or partially outsource management (a third retained by council).
The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board’s feedback in the report that came before the meeting did not support full outsourcing.
Cr Watson says it was clear from the deluge of emails that he and Cr Wayne Walker received that locals wanted the Stanmore Bay centre retained in council management.
“People said how much they value the centre, in particular the staff and its affordability,” Cr Watson says. “There were moving letters about its importance for local families’ lives and wellbeing.”
At the meeting, the Public Service Association union delegate Martin Graham urged councillors to vote ‘no’ to full outsourcing.
“The council and private market don’t have the same interests or incentives,” he said. “The public oppose privatisation and we have many members who are angry and upset about this proposal.”
Cr Watson said it was disappointing that leisure centre staff had been kept in the dark, especially when it was clear that most of the potential savings were to be made from staff cuts.
“They were not given a chance to discuss how performance can be improved, although the union said they would welcome that,” Cr Watson said.
Cr Walker described the Stanmore Bay centre as “a top performer”, with impressive membership growth, high satisfaction in membership surveys and increasing demand as the population grows.
All the figures and financial benefits and risks across the leisure centres remain confidential, but Mayor Wayne Brown said in terms of financial sustainability, something needed to be done, as the centres’ overheads were “horrific”.
The decision was made in a confidential session, with both local councillors voting for the status quo option that was agreed unanimously.
Cr Walker says greater efficiencies and savings will be sought, with an additional $3m per annum needing to be found across all the leisure centres.
“All the centres, including the outsourced ones, will be under scrutiny now,” he said. “Attention will be paid to things like better branding too.”
