A new bore and boiler are planned to overcome difficulties experienced during the last year in keeping the Mount Hot Pools hot.

The work is expected to cost most of the $693,000, which combined council-controlled organisation Bay Leisure and Events Ltd has budgeted for spending on the Mount Hot Pools in the 2015 financial year.

Mount Hot Pools. File photo.

BLEL boar chairman Peter Farmer and CEO Gary Dawson presented the figures to Tauranga City Council on Thursday as part of a budget showing the new CCO posting a surplus in the 2015 financial year; and without calling for any addition to BLEL's current $2.4 million annual ratepayer funding.

The bore was last renewed in 1990, says Gary, who reckons well drillers approached by BLEL can give no indication or guarantee on their life time – other than 20-100 years.

'If the bore goes out, it is a major issue. It is a project that is required,” says Gary. 'The addition of a boiler is to make sure the hot pools can maintain temperature, particularly in winter when the wind goes through there.”

Sunlive received a number of complaints from hot pools customers last winter about experiencing cool water when visiting Mount Hot Pools. The pools were also shut down on a couple of occasions because of difficulties with the bore pump. The bore, which is located in the carpark, will be checked first by camera.

The Memorial Park pool is also going to require $250,000, budgeted to repair a leak. Otumoetai pool is receiving $151,000 in work during the 2015 year, with budgeted renewals of $390,000 for Baywave aquatics and about $260,000 for Greerton.

The costs are part and parcel of maintaining the pools network up to standard, says Gary.

Bay Leisure and Events Ltd was formed last year by combining Tauranga City Venues Ltd and Tauranga City Aquatics Ltd to manage 22 separate ratepayer-owned sites with a combined value of more than $150 million.

It has two main tasks; managing the community assets like the pools and halls on a more or less break even basis, and running the majors assets with a view to making a profit.

BLEL, in business six months, is confident of producing a budget surplus in the 2014/2015 year, says BLEL chairman Peter Farmer.

'2014/14 will be the one to judge us by,” says Peter.

The BLEL team's confidence received a huge boost from the hugely successful jet sprints event held in the stadium. They budgeted for a break even figure of 5000 visitors and sold 15,000 tickets.

'We thought we might get eight-to-nine thousand. To get that sort of number was just incredible,” says Gary.

Feedback from the public, the drivers, and joint venture partner NZ Jet Sprint Association, means it will happen again.

But now BLEL has succeeded with the world's first jet sprint meeting in a stadium, other stock car tracks and stadiums are also vying for the opportunity, says Gary.