The Whakatāne District Council is to consider the possible sale of the Awakeri War Memorial Hall at an extraordinary meeting on 31 August.
The future of the hall was discussed extensively in late 2015, following an approach from the owner of the neighbouring property seeking to purchase the building and land to facilitate the establishment of a significant tourism and entertainment venture. The Council’s Policy Committee approved the divestment of the hall, in principle, subject to community feedback and a decision by the full Council. A number of submissions opposing the sale were received from hall users, and because negotiations on the terms of a possible sale had broken down, no decision on the future of the hall was made when the Council last considered the matter in December 2015.
Mayor Tony Bonne says a formal offer to purchase the hall and land has now been received, and the Council will revisit the matter and make a decision on the future ownership of the property. Options include:
- Retaining the facility and land for community use
- Retaining the facility and land in Council ownership, with provision for commercial activities via a lease arrangement
- Divesting the hall and land
“In making that decision, Council elected members will take into account the submissions received in 2015, together with any new information the stakeholders wish to present,” Mayor Bonne says. “If divestment is the preferred option, a decision would then be made on whether to accept the offer before us, or undertake further negotiation or an alternate process.”
He says a decision to sell the hall and land would require a number of issues to be dealt with, including the location of the Awakeri Scout Group den. “The hall’s War Memorial status would also have to be transferred to an alternate facility agreed upon by the community, and existing hall users may need help to find alternative venues.”
Other matters the Council is likely to consider, should ownership of the hall be retained, include the possible need to relocate the hall and Scout Den septic tanks and soakage fields, and the cost of repiling the hall kitchen area.
“I know that the Awakeri Events Centre Committee has been looking for new members, which raises a question about whether a relatively small community can sustain two facilities offering similar amenities in close proximity,” Mr Bonne adds. “The current Council has not had an opportunity to look at the commercial venture proposed for the hall site, but the potential benefits a major new tourism attraction would bring to the Awakeri area and the wider District do need to be seriously considered.”