Public Consultation Nears on Community Halls Review

A plan to make the district’s halls operate more economically will be considered by New Plymouth District Council.

At next week’s Policy Committee meeting (Tuesday 20 October), Councillors will debate a discussion document that examines the operation of the Council’s 11 urban and six rural halls, and where to from here.

Says Manager Parks Mark Bruhn: “Our aim is to manage the halls portfolio more efficiently while enabling halls to remain in those rural communities who want them.

“We also want to increase usage of all rural and urban halls through better marketing.

“A first round of consultation has already been held with hall users, from which we have developed indicative preferred options for the halls’ future management.

“Once the Policy Committee has considered the options, a second round of consultation will seek the general public’s feedback.”

The indicative preferred options that will be considered by the Policy Committee next week are:

Changing the Urenui Community Centre’s status from a rural hall to an urban hall to ensure it is retained and appropriately funded by the Council.
Selling the remaining five rural halls so they can be owned and operated by independent groups. These five are Lepperton, Mangorei War Memorial, Tikorangi, Uruti and Waitoitoi halls. (An alternative option is to stop funding their depreciation – saving $44,000 based on 2009/10 figures – and not replace them at the end of their useful life.)
Establishing a usage target for urban halls of 100 hours per month regular use (to be assessed in three years time). The current average is 73 hours per month.
Establishing a usage target for rural halls of 40 hours per month.
Adopting the amended Rural Halls Funding Policy (including the criterion that priority for funding be given to halls that meet the usage target).
Increasing revenue through usage (noting that fees will also have to rise to meet the 20 per cent user funding target).
Adopting the proposed Community Halls Policy which sets out criteria for development, redevelopment and divestment of community halls.
Continuing the Rural Halls Funding Scheme, and inflation-adjust it from 2010/11.
This year the council has budgeted to spend $600,000 on all community halls for maintenance, depreciation and grant funding.

NPDC’s Revenue and Financing Policy is for 20 per cent of the total cost of urban halls to come from user fees, but currently only 10 per cent is being covered. The rest is met from rates.

NPDC funds its rural halls 100 per cent from rates as it receives no income from them.

Urban halls are located in urban centres and managed by NPDC or custodians, while rural halls are located outside an urban centre and managed by private hall committees and societies.

There are a further 16 rural halls in the district that are independently owned.

If approved, stage two of public consultation on the halls review will start on 27 October.

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