Overall management of the Wairoa Community Centre will undergo change next year.

After 13 years of managing the Wairoa District Council-owned asset, Sport Hawke’s Bay (SHB) is moving away from running the centre but will continue to focus on support and advocacy and increasing the delivery of active-based programmes in Wairoa.

Although the change won’t take place until July 1 next year, the Wairoa District Council is already exploring options on how the centre could be run and managed in the future.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the Council appreciates the work Sport Hawke’s Bay has carried out over the past 13 years. “They have told us that managing a facility is not their core business, and the Wairoa Community Centre is the only facility it manages.

“We appreciate that the Sport Hawke’s Bay Board has talked with us directly and allowed a long lead time to transition the change. We have already started looking at options with a key focus on maintaining the current levels of service and looking at growth opportunities.

“The centre had a record year in 2023-24, recording more than 94,000 people movements - one of the best results in many years. Sport Hawke’s Bay and the local team have done a great job, and while the Council was not looking for this change, it does bring opportunity, and the centre has a solid foundation for opportunities to be leveraged from.

“The Community Centre is more than just a pool, sports and fitness. It is a community hub and this new change in direction gives us a chance to reflect and look at how the centre can best address the needs of our community. “

Both Council and SHB acknowledge each other as key partners in achieving community wellbeing outcomes for the Wairoa District saying the current agreement had been developed in good faith to maximise the opportunities to enhance the sport, recreation and personal wellbeing of the community.

The Council expects to have a working plan of how the facility could be managed by the end of the year. 

Sport Hawke’s Bay Chief Executive Ryan Hambleton acknowledged it was an unsettling time, particularly for 10 of the 14 staff who are employed by Sport Hawke’s Bay and will be directly impacted, and the organisation was committed to supporting a smooth transition of operations to the Council.

“We are keenly aware of the importance of the centre to the community, and the passion within the team for the work they do. We will be supporting them through this time of uncertainly, and we hope they will have a role in the future of the centre.”

Mr Hambleton said, “Wairoa was prioritised as a geographical priority community with additional funding and support provided to the play, active recreation, and sports sectors across the district.

“Sport Hawke’s Bay will continue to work in and with the Wairoa community, with future plans including new programmes and initiatives to be delivered by Wairoa and Napier-based staff.

“We have recently attracted additional funding to run a holiday programme and provide flood relief support, and work of this nature will continue.

“We will also continue to have local staff based in Wairoa supporting the community and schools and kura to be more active, more often.”

12 September 2024

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