The sale of the Awakeri War Memorial Hall will be completed overnight and the property transferred to new ownership.

The hall has been purchased by the owner of the adjacent property to facilitate the development of a tourism attraction, which is expected to generate significant economic and social benefits for the immediate area and the Whakatāne District.

Whakatāne District Council Community Services General Manager Mike Naude has confirmed a sale price of $135,000 for the property. “That sum is approximately $65,000 less than the current valuation, reflecting the investment that would have been required to address the hall’s known re-piling needs and the much-needed upgrading of kitchen facilities if it was to remain available for public use,” he says. “In approving the sale and purchase agreement, Council elected members also took into account the wider benefits which will be created by the planned, progressive investment in a range of new tourism and entertainment facilities, including a 1950s-style American diner, a truck museum, a 10-pin bowling alley, a motor-caravan park, zip-line adventure rides and cycling and walking trails.

“The new owner, Mr Barry Caulfield, has committed to making the hall facility available to existing user groups, at the existing hire cost, and we suggest that anyone wanting to continue using the hall should contact him to put the necessary arrangements in place.”

He says the Council recognises that the sale of the hall has been a divisive issue for the local community and hopes that all parties will now move on and throw their support behind the new venture. “The nearby Awakeri Event Centre also offers excellent and economically-priced facilities for community use, and greater local involvement in its operations will only enhance the centre’s long-term viability.”