Waikato District Council is intending to lease land and a building to a charitable trust in Huntly to increase services offered to the local community.
The Friendship House Huntly Community Charitable Trust runs the Huntly West Community Hub in Harris St but needs to vacate its current building.
An alternative location on 560sqm of Huntly West Domain land, that would be leased to Friendship House Huntly, has been identified as a suitable alternative.
This land would provide the location for the new Huntly West Hub, in a new building being donated by Builtsmart.
Huntly West Community Hub focuses on providing programmes, workshops and activities that encourage the community to connect with one another, and other community programmes, whilst also encouraging learning and growth throughout the community.
It is intended that Council would work with Friendship House to design and construct a suitable path and planting from Harris Street to the new Huntly West hub location within the Domain.
Council also intends to lease the Huntly Scout Building on Hakanoa Domain so Friendship House can operate the Huntly Arts Group.
This would enable the trust to use the Huntly Scout Building as a community arts centre for a variety of workshops as well as being open to for public drop ins, exhibitions, shows, resident artist opportunities and creativity activities.
Waikato District Council’s Strategic Property Manager, Michelle Brown, says just how great it is for Council to partner with an organisation such as Friendship House.
“We appreciate the fantastic work that Friendship House does in the Raahui Pookeka community and look forward to seeing new and improved facilities operating in the town in the near future,” says Michelle Brown.
Friendship House manager Victoria Kemp says that she and her team are excited about the generous support from Builtsmart and Waikato District Council.
“We are looking forward to sharing this facility with our community, welcoming regular and new faces and growing our services,” she says.
Under the Reserves Act, Council is required to give public notice of its intention to grant these leases.
To provide feedback, and for more details, the public can go to https://shape.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/ to submit their support or objections.
The feedback period closes on 16 September.
