It will also include general space that may include
services provided by Department
of Conservation and NorthTec.
Following extensive public consultation, on 22 August 2007, Trust
Committee member Far North Mayor Yvonne Sharp announced the selected
site for the Te Ahu complex to be at the southern end of Kaitaia,
on South Road adjacent to the existing Far North Community Centre
and on land currently partially occupied by Te Runanga o Te Rarawa.
This is not a council-driven project but is very much a community
initiative - an opportunity for this community to be the master
of its own destiny. The Te Ahu Charitable Trust was formed so that
the community could pursue this objective and achieve what it wants
to achieve. The Trust wants the community to be involved in the
project every step of the way as it works to create a tourist attraction
in Kaitaia - something that has a wow factor and that will
generate a great deal of pride in what Kaitaia has to show off to
the rest of the world.
This multi-functional facility will provide an exciting focus for
the area. It will cater for a wide range of community needs and
interests and will enable operational efficiencies both environmentally-sustainable
and aesthetic, as well as providing shared patronage. This building
will enrich and celebrate the cultural aspect of the area, of local
residents and visitors alike, and will be a catalyst to lift confidence
and induce extra pride in the wider community.
Other initiatives over the next three years to complement this
project may include modernising and remodeling the existing Community
Centre, enhancing Jaycee Park and upgrading the children’s
playground to provide better car parking and a safer environment
for children. |