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Not every scaffolding job is a house repaint or a reroof. Every so often a project comes along that requires real problem-solving — one that pushes our team to think differently about access, environment, and design. The Hutt City Council aquatic centre goal system installation at Naenae Pool was exactly that kind of job.
Here's what was involved, what made it challenging, and what it says about the versatility of scaffolding as an access solution.
The Project
Hutt City Council needed to install new goal systems at their aquatic facility. The installation points were at significant height — fixed to the ceiling structure of the pool hall above an active competition pool. To reach the fixing points safely and provide a stable working platform for the installation team, a custom scaffolding tower was required.
Erect It Scaffolding was brought in to design and erect the access solution.
Why This Job Was Genuinely Complex
On a standard house or commercial building, scaffolding is erected outside. The ground is level, there's no environmental sensitivity, and if something needs adjusting it's straightforward. An operational aquatic facility is an entirely different environment.
Working Over an Active Pool
The pool was live. That meant everything that went up had to come down controlled — no loose components, no dropped materials, no risk of pool contamination. Our team used tool tethers, covered equipment, and coordinated carefully with facility management throughout erection and dismantling.
Protecting a Sensitive Public Environment
An aquatic centre is a public-access building with specific surface requirements. Pool surrounds, lane rope anchors, and filtration systems all needed to be protected. We used sole boards and rubber base plates rather than standard ground anchors to distribute load without damaging the pool deck. Every contact point between the scaffolding and the building fabric was protected.
Height and Indoor Access
The ceiling structure is substantially higher than a standard residential building — and unlike outdoor work, there's no crane access and no ability to work freely around the perimeter. The scaffolding tower had to go up inside the building, piece by piece, entirely by hand. Our crew planned the lift sequence carefully to ensure the tower rose safely and with sufficient bracing at each stage.
No External Tie Points
On a standard scaffolding, the structure is tied to the building wall at multiple levels to provide lateral stability. Inside a pool hall, the walls are either too far away or too sensitive to penetrate with standard anchors. The tower design had to be self-supporting with internal bracing and a wide enough base footprint to remain stable at height.
The Scaffolding Design
We erected a freestanding bespoke scaffolding tower:
- Multiple working lifts to allow the installation crew to position themselves at the exact height required for ceiling-level fixing work
- Wide base footprint using extended base jacks and a spread sole board arrangement — distributing the tower load across the pool deck without point loading
- Full internal bracing at every lift — diagonal ledger bracing on all four faces to prevent any lateral movement at height
- Guardrails and mid-rails on the working platform level, fully compliant with WorkSafe NZ requirements for work at height
- Secure ladder access up the inside of the tower structure
The result was a rigid, stable platform that gave the installation team confident, safe access to the ceiling structure to complete the goal system installation.
WorkSafe NZ Compliance
All scaffolding work at Erect It Scaffolding is completed to WorkSafe NZ standards. This job was no exception.
Before the installation crew stepped onto the tower, we issued a formal scaffolding handover certificate confirming:
- The scaffolding had been erected to the correct standard
- The working platform met load rating requirements
- Guardrail systems were in place
- The scaffolding had been inspected and was safe to use
This is standard practice on every job we do — from a residential reroof in Petone to a commercial scaffolding tower inside a council aquatic facility. The principal contractor and Hutt City Council's facilities team had full confidence the access was compliant before work at height commenced.
The Result
The installation team was able to complete the goal system fitting safely and efficiently. The scaffolding was dismantled promptly once the work was done, the pool area was restored, and the facility was handed back to operations without incident.
It's the kind of outcome we work for on every job — the trade or installation team gets what they need, the client's facility is protected throughout, and the job is done correctly first time.
What This Project Demonstrates
The Naenae Pool job is a good example of what commercial scaffolding can look like when it moves beyond standard building facade work. Access challenges exist in:
- Indoor venues — theatres, sports halls, swimming pools, warehouses
- Industrial facilities — factories, processing plants, storage tanks
- Heritage buildings — sensitive interior environments requiring protection
- Public buildings — schools, libraries, council facilities, hospitals
In every case, the fundamentals are the same: understand the environment, design a solution that fits it, and build it to a standard the working crew can rely on.
If you have a project that falls outside the standard mould — give us a call. That's where we do some of our best work.
About Erect It Scaffolding
Erect It Scaffolding is a Wellington-based scaffolding company serving the greater Wellington region including Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, the Kapiti Coast, and Wairarapa. We're SiteWise Gold certified for 2026/27 and carry full public liability insurance on every job.
We handle residential repaints, reroofing scaffolds, commercial and industrial access, scaffolding shrink-wrap, edge protection, and custom access solutions for unusual projects.
Call Dhillon on 027 886 6688 or get in touch online for a free quote. We respond within 24 hours.
Browse more of our work to see the range of projects we take on across Wellington and the Hutt Valley.
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