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Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool Project

The Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool project is designed to offer a wide range of services all year round for the Milton and wider Clutha District communities, from swimming lessons and competitions through to digital help, library programmes and celebrating local history. It will be a central point for connection, knowledge, health, and leisure.

This facility is intergenerational, to meet the community needs now, and into the future, for the next 50 years.

Background

Discussion about establishing a purpose-built facility to cater for Milton and the Bruce ward’s growing needs was first formalised in the 2018 Our Place Milton Community Plan.

For the duration of this project, the Council has been working with the Bruce Community Facilities Trust and Committee and Calder Stewart to drive it forward, with the Trust leading the community consultation in 2022.

After gaining significant community feedback, it was decided to pursue an option that put the community’s aspirations all under one roof: to build a new pool and a new service centre/library facility, then known as the Bruce Community Facility.

However, as the project developed, the scope and scale changed along with the total budget. As promised when Council first consulted on the facility, if there was a significant change to any of the key components, there would be further discussion with the community.

Further consultation took place in September 2024, with people asked whether they wanted to contribute to a community library and pool facility with six swimming lanes, which would cost $19.4 million, or stop the project altogether.

Over 600 submissions were received with 49.7% in favour of the new facility and 50.3% were against: 64% from the Bruce rating area supported the new facility.

On the strength of this, the Council decided to proceed with the construction of a new community library and pool facility including the six-lane swimming pool. At the Council Meeting on 5 December 2024 Council agreed to the “Direct Appointment” of Calder Stewart as the contractor for the Bruce Community Facility Detailed Design and Build.

The approved budget of $19.4M covered all aspects of the overall project, including construction and carparking and included $6.4M of grants and other funding, leaving $13M to be funded by rates. Council decided that this $13M will be interest-only for a period of two years to reduce the rates impact.

Taking a wider view, it was agreed that the new building would also make a significant contribution to the ongoing upgrade of Union Street by providing a focal point on Milton’s main thoroughfare, encouraging increased foot traffic to surrounding businesses and other services.

See plans:

See media:

See media releases:

See key progress updates:

Council formally awarded a $17.75M physical works contract to Calder Stewart for construction of the Bruce community facility.

‘The Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool’, was named in honour of the late Mrs Stewart’s outstanding contributions to the community

The then Mayor Bryan Cadogan said he was beyond thrilled to see such a defining project nearing the construction stages.

“We have strived to hold true to the 64% of Bruce residents that supported this project under extremely trying pressure.

“This project is a cornerstone for Milton’s future, one that will define the wider district and add even more vibrancy to Milton’s revitalised main street.”

The Bruce Communities Facilities Trust were also continuing to play a key part in funding the project, with a commitment to raising $2M in funds towards it.

Fundraising Committee Chairman, Stephen Woodhead, said it was fantastic to have the certainty that the project will proceed.

“For the Trust, it means we can move to the next stage of fundraising. We are looking forward to continuing to work with community and funding agencies as we move towards raising the $2M target, the community's contribution to this amazing facility.

“The opportunity that a fit-for-purpose community library and pool offers our district is truly exciting.”

The former Milton Service Centre that also house the community library, which found a temporary home in the Milton Coronation Hall from December 2025 until the new purpose-built library and pool facility opens.

The Milton Community Library had its last day in its old premises on Union Street on Friday 21 November, with the library then closing for a week while it moved into a temporary space at the Milton Coronation Hall.

Demolition of the buildings in Ajax Street began in the week of 24 November. Demolition moved onto the former community library itself during the week of 5 January 2026, to be followed by the former Toko Training Centre building. Toko Training will be leasing a Council-owned property.

Media: Clearing decks for complex | Otago Daily Times Online News

The former Milton Community Library on Union Street, Milton.

A ceremonial sod-turning ceremony marked the start of building phase at Milton’s Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool site on Tuesday 10 February 2026.

With the demolition programme completed during December 2025– January 2026, the project is preparing to move into the implementation phase while the building consent requirements are being finalised.

The new Council-owned community facility between Union and Ajax streets is planned to take 19 months to construct.

Read more: Sod-turning marks start of building phase - Clutha District Council

Media: Sod-turning marks construction start | Otago Daily Times Online News

Pictured below, taking part in the sod turning ceremony at the Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool site in Milton; from left, Stephen Woodhead and Marie Smith (Bruce Communities Facilities Trust), Donald Stewart (Calder Stewart), Kim Schiller (Bruce Communities Facilities Trust and Project Bruce), Peter Stewart (Calder Stewart) and Clutha District Mayor Jock Martin.

Calder Stewart has become fully established on the Union/Ajax St site in Milton.

Earthworks began in the week of 2 March with the building footprint set out and excavation for the pool.

The site has been made fully secure, site fencing is up and the gates are on, and Calder Stewart has installed a permanent acoustic fence to mitigate noise during the 19-month build.

Every effort is being made to pre-order any materials that have to come from overseas to mitigate the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and growing concerns over the global fuel supply. The main impact it would have on the project is that components of the pool will be coming from Italy.

The Bruce Communities Facilities Trust is also continuing to play a key part in funding the project, with a commitment to raising $2M in funds towards it.

We will be keeping the community informed of the construction timeline in later updates.

A large crane has been established for heavy lifting the concrete base slabs for the 25-metre-long swimming pool. Establishing the concrete footings will be the next stage through to the end of June.

Full update available HERE (see page 53 Risk and Assurance meeting report).

Bruce Community Trust has been successful with its Lotteries Grant Funding application for $700,000 towards the project - the result of a team effort between the Trust, and Council's finance and community services team to get this fundraising over the line. The Trust will by applying for $1 million from the Otago Community Trust, to bring it closer to the $2M fundraising goal as its contribution to the project.

The large crane established on site has been actively placing the pool panels for the 25-metre pool and is also starting to place the concrete exterior walls for the building.

From the week of 2 June, the pipes for the pool filtration system are expected to arrive for laying and once done then the concrete base for the 25m pool can commence.

The foundation work for the toddler pool has also started.

As of late July- early August, the steel rafters are being lifted into place over the 25-metre pool area, using the crane that has become a dominant feature on Milton's skyline. See photos below.

The crane was also used to install the pre-cast panels around the pool. The team is eagerly awaiting the pool components, which should arrive from Italy in about six weeks.

The facility is expected to be completed by November 2027.

We've been tracking progress through our monthly Eye on Clutha e-news:

The main pool in the Elsie Stewart Community Library and Pool project is continuing to take shape with the big pre-cast panels and foundation beam installed. The Balance Tank and pool panels are installed with stitch joints completed. Excavations, installation of steel reinforcing, concrete for foundations and footings is ongoing.
Essential components of the pool are currently in transit from Italy and due in the country around mid-September. The manufacturing of the structural steel is finished with approximately 80% of the pool and hall steel painted with the first delivery of steel on site in early August. Meanwhile the Bruce Community Trust has moved closer to its $2M fundraising goal, having raised $1.7M in grant funding and an additional $240,000 – a total of $1.94M. Council has also lodged the Better off Funding $1.9M application in August.

Read more: Otago Daily Times

Project update – 8 October 2026

The pool component shipment arrived in Milton form Myrtha Pools, Italy in late September and was unloaded into a Calder Stewart warehouse. The multiple boxes contain the components for the 25-metre pool and learner pool.

Their arrival is a great relief to the Council team working on this project, because of the impacts on shipping due to the war on Iran.

Read more and see the timelapse of progress so far on the build: From Myrtha to Milton - Clutha District Council

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