AWARD-WINNING VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY – NZCNA Tuesday, December 21, 2021
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MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022
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JOLLY CHRISTMAS TIME! Times staff celebrated their recent Christmas party with a masked theme [you’d have thought they’d have had enough of those]. The Times offices close today [5pm, Tuesday, December 21] and reopen on Monday, January 17 although staff will return to the office in the week beforehand. Have a safe and wonderful Christmas! Photo Wayne Martin
CONFLICT OVER USE OF COMMUNITY BUILDING By CHRIS HARROWELL
T
here’s strong disagreement over how a historic east Auckland community asset should be managed. In the first half of 2020, the Howick War Memorial building, formerly known as the Howick Information Centre, closed along with most other Auckland Council facilities when New Zealand went into a Covid-19 lockdown.
In September the Howick Local Board publicly called for expressions of interest from groups keen to be involved with running the Picton Street facility, which is yet to reopen. A recommendation put to the board at its December business meeting advised it to approve the Howick Village Association (HVA) “as the preferred applicant at this stage” to manage the building, for several reasons.
They included that the association is well-established and has strong organisational and financial capability to manage a community facility, among others. However, when the board arrived at that item during its meeting, member David Collings moved an amendment to the recommendation, which was seconded by member Katrina Bungard. Collings’ proposed change gave approval to council officers to talk
to multiple groups about the prospect of working together “for the overall benefit of the Howick community” and report back to the board in February next year. The groups include the HVA as well as applicants such as the Manukau East Council of Social Services (MECOSS), OneAfrica Incorporated, Uxbridge Community Projects Incorporated, Howick Tourism and the Pakuranga Chinese Association, among others.
Collings declared an interest in MECOSS to his board colleagues. He said he understood council staff wanting to have one head group in charge of the building but he disagreed with that approach as “it makes it harder for individual groups to work together” if there’s one primary tenant. “They are always on the back foot and it doesn’t matter who they are. ➤ Turn to page 3
Kelly and Dejana and the team at Kelly Flavell Law wish you all a merry Christmas and happy New Year and thank everyone for your support over 2021. Our team will back in the office to look after you all from Monday the 10th January 2022.
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