Plans for a new community hub for Tapawera are proposed to be put on the backburner, potentially placing half a million dollars of government funding at risk.
Tasman District Council is currently consulting on its draft annual plan for the next financial year.
While a new hub for Wakefield and pool for Motueka are still proposed to go ahead, the council is suggesting that the Tapawera hub be deferred, pending further discussions next year for the council’s 10-year long-term plan.
The proposal to defer has come after vocal opposition to the project from some in the rural Tasman village and as council costs continue to rise.
Community development organisation Tapawera Connect has been spearheading the hub project since its inception six years ago.
Operations manager Rachel Moffitt says Tapawera is limited for appropriate community spaces.
“One of the things… community centres provide for small towns is a space to connect and get information and be present in the community.”
Now, the town’s existing community centre has closed due to earthquake risk.
“The community feel it, and there’s a lot of uncertainty about whether or not it will reopen.”
A brand new, purpose-built hub would provide a warm, multi-purpose site for community events, appropriate facilities for visiting social services, and emergency resilience for the isolated community, Rachel says.
The hub is currently budgeted to cost $2.7 million, though only a fraction – $34,000 – would be spent next financial year, if it went ahead.
Council would supply $1.8 million – $500,000 coming from loans funded by rates and $1.3m from fees already paid by developers – with the community left to fund the remaining $900,000.
The Department of Internal Affairs has earmarked $510,000 for the project, reducing the community’s contribution to $390,000.
The significance of the DIA’s contribution was “hard to put into words”, especially for a lower socio-economic area like Tapawera, Rachel says.
“An investment like this could see a lot of potential for Tapawera to grow.”
But the DIA grant is not guaranteed.
“If it gets taken back into the long-term plan, that funding won’t be there any longer,” Rachel warns.
Tapawera lies in the Lakes-Murchison Ward, and sole ward councillor John Gully says there is “no doubt” the village needs a new facility.
However, he was currently opposed to building the hub, primarily due to the apparent division within the community, but would change his mind if Tapawera rallied behind it.
“If the community decide that they wish to proceed, then I will support them 100 percent.”
John acknowledges that not having a “stake in the ground” – a commitment to the hub in council plans – jeopardised the DIA funding.
“It’s very, very difficult, in this market in particular, to turn your back on a half million dollars.”
But even though Tapawera was “unlikely” to receive a government grant of that scale again, he adds that there are other potential funders, like the Rātā Foundation and Lotteries Commission if the project went ahead in the future.
Roy Bensemann, new chair of the Tapawera and Districts Community Council, says its committee is “completely neutral” on the hub.
He declined to comment on the community debate surrounding the project but did speak about the risk of losing the government funding.
“I’m sure that the DIA… would want what’s best for Tapawera,” Roy says.
“At the moment, our committee thinks what’s best for Tapawera is that we start the process again and consult with our community and get it right going forward.”
The community council would adopt a formal position once it consulted local residents.
However, that process would take time and means the community council will not be able to submit on the district council’s draft annual plan before consultation closes on 3 May.
A DIA spokesperson did not confirm the conditions of its funding, nor whether its contribution was at risk if the hub was deferred but said that the funding was collaborative.
“Discussions between funders and the community are ongoing.”
The consultation that was being undertaken on the annual plan was “another good opportunity” for the community to use its voice, they add.
DIA will discuss the next steps for the project with the council in July once the annual plan has been adopted.
Residents can make submissions through the council’s Shape Tasman website.
Rachel encourages everyone in the community to have their say on the project.
“It’s really important that this project is community lead and that we’re making sure we’re getting it right for everyone.”
