A closed-door council decision to close two Tauranga libraries and a public pool on Sundays to save money has shocked users of the facilities.

Tauranga City Council announced in a statement last week that it would close Greerton Library, Pāpāmoa Library and Ōtūmoetai Pool on Sundays.

The changes, part of the 2026/27 annual plan, reflected lower use on Sundays and aimed to keep “rates increases as low as possible while continuing to deliver essential services”.

Friends of the Tauranga City Libraries chairwoman Jill Best said there was no warning or consultation about changes to the council’s “most-loved service”.

She said the group found out when contacted by Local Democracy Reporting.

Best said hundreds of locals used these libraries on Sundays, and many could not go on other days.

Friends of the Tauranga City Libraries chairwoman Jill Best. Photo / Andrew Warner

The organisation would look to give councillors feedback about the loss of service.

A Greerton Library user, who Local Democracy Reporting agreed not to name, said the lack of community consultation was a “shocking situation”.

She said Sunday was one of only two days many working families could visit a library.

Based on minutes from the March 24 meeting, she said the council appeared to have made its decision based on visitation data, rather than talking to Sunday library users.

“There’s already a lack of public spaces that people can go to without spending their hard-earned money.”

Tauranga artist Sam Allen said Sunday morning library visits to borrow books were among his favourite memories of growing up in Tauranga.

Tauranga artist Sam Allen.

“Sundays were the only time that I got to do this because sports were on a Saturday, and often one or both of my parents worked late on weekdays.”

He said it helped cultivate his interests in art and reading.

He did not want younger generations growing up with few resources to lose that enrichment opportunity.

‘Tiny’ amount saved

Meeting minutes showed deputy mayor Jen Scoular (Mount Maunganui ward) and councillors Hēmi Rolleston (Te Awanui) and Rod Taylor (Te Papa) voted against the library closures.

These would save $64,088 from Greerton and $50,648 from Pāpāmoa annually.

Taylor said decisions like this were going to become more frequent if the Government capped rates increases as proposed.

Tauranga City councillor Rod Taylor at a meeting on December 9 2024. Photo / David Hall

“This is definitely something that our community needs to have a say on, and more importantly, a good understanding of, so that they realise what it will mean going forward.”

He believed communities should decide what to provide for themselves through the democratic process.

“I consider library services as core and not a nice-to-have.”

Scoular said the cuts saved a “tiny” amount of money that could be eroded by the cost to rework employment agreements.

Other reasons for her vote were that the libraries were in “less affluent” areas of the city, there was no consultation, and the cuts resulted from an “ill-considered” Government demand.

Deputy mayor and Mount Maunganui ward councillor Jen Scoular. Photo / David Hall

She believed cost-cutting should focus on changes within the council operation, rather than by reducing community services.

She said the council set a $4.6 million savings target in the 2026/27 annual plan – “a big number but still quite a small percentage of total costs”.

Pool decision ‘surprising’

The vote on closing Ōtūmoetai pool on Sundays was split, with Mayor Mahe Drysdale using his casting vote to carry the motion.

It would save $26,000.

Scoular, Rolleston, Taylor, Steve Morris (Pāpāmoa) and Kevin Schuler (Bethlehem) voted against.

Tauranga City Council has decided to close Ōtūmoetai Pool every Sunday as part of a series of targeted changes to community services to save money. Photo / Ayla Yeoman

Ōtūmoetai resident Neil Pollett said he went to the pool regularly with his son and was disappointed there was no discussion with the community and pool users.

“I think a few people found it surprising that this decision was made.”

He said it was the only public pool on that side of the bridge, with busy Baywave the next closest.

Evolution Aquatics swimming school head coach Riccardo Pini said Ōtūmoetai Pool was essential as there were no other pools between there and Katikati.

He said the group had “no idea” about the closure.

Ōtūmoetai ward councillor Glen Crowther outside the Ōtūmoetai Pool. Photo / Supplied

Crowther said that while he voted for the closure at the meeting as the “less bad” option, he had dug further into the figures and believed the council’s cost per swim should be lower than presented due to the overturned decision to demolish the pool.

He said the council had until June to sign the decision off and he wanted to hear the community’s thoughts.

While the council was not formally consulting on the annual plan, it was running community meetings.

‘Tough’ financial times

Drysdale said in the press release that the decisions were not taken lightly but reflected a careful balance between financial responsibility and community wellbeing.

“It’s a tough time financially for most people and we have to look to save costs where we can.”

The council also reduced or cut funding for several adult library programmes, events, community grants, climate-related external grants, TECT and Haharua Parks, and by introducing a “hybrid grass-edging/weeding model”.

Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale. Photo / David Hall

“These changes allow us to restrain rates increases while continuing to invest in the services that matter most to Tauranga’s future.”

The council cited protecting privacy and commercial negotiations for excluding the public from the March meeting. It has since made the meeting agenda and minutes public.

Council strategy, partnerships and growth general manager Christine Jones said the exclusion was to protect the privacy of people whose jobs would be significantly affected by the decisions.

The council wanted to speak to them first rather than have them learn through media coverage or a livestream. This also applied to external organisations whose contracts could be impacted.

Ōtūmoetai Pool would close on Sundays from July 1 and the two libraries from August 1. Mount Maunganui Library is already closed on Sundays.

Tauranga City Library would continue to open on Sundays, with free weekend parking in the CBD.

Ayla Yeoman is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in communications, politics and international relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2022.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.