Palmerston North teacher and mother Rebecca Matthews was one of the first to celebrate the prospect of free entry to city swimming pools for preschoolers. READ MORE:* Palmerston North contemplates free swims for under-5s* Swimming-cost increases managed to help reduce drowning* Christchurch City Council approves free swimming for preschoolers trialMatthews said the costs of taking toddlers to city pools were hard for families managing on one income. MURRAY WILSON/STUFF Rebecca Matthews and daughter Christie look forward to being able to swim more often for free. Councillors also wanted to stick with their proposal to provide free pool entry, not just discounted entry. Including free passes for adults attending with preschoolers almost doubled the cost of the one-year trial to $60,000.

Source: Stuff June 10, 2019 06:02 UTC