Where next for Hibiscus Family Centre?

The Hibiscus Coast Family Centre’s attempt to obtain land from Rodney District Council, which began more than three years ago, took another turn last month when negotiations on a potential site in Whangaparaoa Road fell through.

The site is part of Whangaparaoa College and negotiations for its purchase have been underway between the Ministry of Education and Rodney District Council for more than a year.

A Council spokesperson says the option was discarded due to cost.

Attention has now turned back to the site originally identified for the Family Centre, at 20 Link Crescent (opposite the Warehouse). This site is currently on Council’s ‘for sale’ list, but Councillor John Kirikiri says he made sure an expression of the Family Centre’s interest in the site was noted when the land was turned over to Rodney Properties Ltd for sale.

These expressions of interest were made on certain properties to alert Rodney Properties Ltd to issues that need dealing with prior to any sale.

Cr Kirikiri says he will be proposing that Council lease the Link Crescent site to the Family Centre at this month’s Infrastructure & Environment committee meeting.

“Rather naively I believe that there is enough support to get this over the start line,” Cr Kirikiri says. “At this stage I don’t perceive there to be any obstacles to removing this site from the for sale list, however my crystal ball has been wrong on many occasions during this term of Council. This has been a long time coming and frankly the original reasons that many organisations on the Coast have pushed forward this concept – a one stop shop for social services – are probably more important now than ever.”

Cr Kirikiri says he is lobbying hard to obtain a positive result at the meeting on September 2.

Family Centre spokesperson Michael Sinclair says the committee’s primary concern is to secure a piece of land prior to the transition to Auckland Council.

“We are optimistic that this can be achieved,” Mr Sinclair says.

The Family Centre will be a multi-use community facility where people of all ages can come for advice and support. Services will include Citizens Advice Bureau, Parent Aid and Teenadders.