Auckland Council have the chance to save ratepayers some money and a very useful public facility, by working together with the local community and restoring a quickly deteriorating community asset at Huia. The location is amazing, the asset is wanted by community groups and volunteers who can provide sports, recreation , youth activites, water safety and search and rescue training, but it continues to sit empty or underutilised for the last 15 years due to Council bureacracy .
Constructed in the mid-1970s, ‘Project K’ formally Kelston Outdoor Education Centre, for many years hosted hundreds of students.
But the last 15 years it’s sat underutilised and in worsening condition. This facility needs a sizeable injection of capital and effort NOW, or it will soon be bulldozer fodder.
Over time several organisations have attempted negotiating a Council license to utilise these buildings for community purposes, all having given up, most due to never-ending negotiation. The Manukau Sports Fishing Club (in association with Police Search & Rescue and Coast Guard) is the most recent, having negotiated with Council for the past 3 years. MSFC have offered to undertake responsibility for this facility, including the sizeable effort and cost required to bring it back up to standard. In return they request a licence allowing its use for marine and coastal activity management, youth water safety training, search & rescue training and a response headquarters for the area.
After being told their application was 98% approved, recent management changes in Council has resulted in them receiving a letter, placing this already lengthy process in limbo. The letter also lists 4 Options going forward, which suggests Council has started deliberations regarding this property afresh. Option 4 reads “Do nothing and leave it as is”; this is not an option, it’s a FAILURE, just an extension to 15 years of failure to put this community building to good purpose.
In light of woefully poor past maintenance and Council projecting future budget shortfalls, it is unlikely much-needed community facilities like this will be built anytime soon, so to have an organisation prepared to help with keeping this one fit for purpose is a win-win for West Auckland people and Council should be grabbing the opportunity.
