Council confirms decision to Build Combined Community Hub in Manaia

At Monday’s (18 August) ordinary council meeting, South Taranaki District Councillors confirmed their previous recommendation made at the 28 July Policy and Strategy Committee Meeting to build a combined sports and community hall facility in Manaia for around $3.5 million.

The decision comes after Council along with Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust, agreed to stop work on a shared Council/Iwi facility at its April meeting and asked officers to develop options for building standalone community facilities for the town.

At the July Policy and Strategy Committee Meeting Councillors were presented four options ranging from building smaller separate hall and sports facilities, to a larger combined sports and community hall facility to renovating the existing facilities.

Report author and STDC group manager of Community Services Rob Haveswood said two options stood out as meeting the community’s requirements, but the combined facility option based at the Manaia Sports Domain made the most sense.

“Combining two facilities into one has the advantage of bringing different activities to one location, creates more vibrancy, higher use, avoids duplication of resources and is a more cost-effective use of ratepayer funds. The hubbing approach is also a key feature of the regional Collaborating for Active Spaces and Places Strategy and as such this option would also be more likely to attract external funding,” says Rob.

South Taranaki District Mayor Phil Nixon’s comments echoed those of his councillors when he said the Manaia community had waited too long, and the time had come for decisive action.

“It might not please everyone but the concept of bringing resources together is a good one. It has worked so well where it’s been done elsewhere such as the TSB Hub, Sinclair Electrical and Refrigeration Events Centre, Waverley Recreation Centre and more recently Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga. It just makes sense.”

A large part of the funding for the new facility will largely come from a previously allocated budget of $1 million plus the Council’s $1.8 million budget for Manaia revitalisation.

To ensure momentum Councillors asked staff to proceed with organising demolition of the existing facilities, including the feasibility of recycling and reusing the timber flooring from the Town Hall, at the same time as developing detailed plans and costings for the new facility.