The Awakeri War Memorial Hall may be transformed into a tourism venture featuring a world-class display of vintage trucks and vehicles, a café and other activities, subject to stakeholder feedback and successful property sale negotiations.

The Whakatāne District Council’s Policy Committee has agreed in principle to the proposed sale of the little-used facility, with a further report on the process, and the views of the hall committee and user stakeholders, to be presented to the full Council on 17 December.

A report received at yesterday’s (26 November) Committee meeting detailed a number of issues relating to the hall’s current condition, including the need to spend an estimated $400,000 to bring its earthquake resistance up to the required standard, the need to re-pile the kitchen area, and a requirement to upgrade the facility’s septic tank system if any future building work (such as earthquake strengthening) is undertaken. The current cost of maintaining and operating the hall was estimated at $7,000–$8,000 a year, while the user fees and charges received in 2014/15 were less than $1,000.

The promoter of the proposed tourism venture, Mr Barry Caulfield, also explained his plans for the site during the public forum section of the meeting. The owner of the adjoining property, he said the hall’s location near the junction of State Highways 2 and 30 made it a key to the success of a business which could significantly boost the area’s economic activity. Mr Caulfield said he anticipated making a sizeable investment to upgrade and expand the facility and envisaged developing other attractions on his property to further grow the business opportunity.

Mayor Tony Bonne said there were clearly major issues around the future of the hall and asked interested stakeholders to provide submissions prior to the Council meeting, to ensure that all parties’ views are heard.