Te Puna Memorial Hall nears completion at last

his project just kept getting longer and longer,” says George Butler, Chair of the Te Puna Memorial Hall Committee. “But I can confidently say that this year, I will give my annual report at the Hall AGM within the walls of the new building. After several years of hoping that would be the case, this is a great milestone.”

The actual occupation of the Hall is still some distance off. Documentation to support a final inspection has to be completed before the inspection itself can take place – and the documents to cover its long construction process need a lot of collating and consolidation.

This was not helped by the Covid-19 lockdown. Work onsite completely halted between the five weeks of 26th March - 27th April. A fairly slow re-start factored in physical distancing rules for each of the tradies involved in the finishing work. Challenges in distribution chains meant that a vital component – the Hall’s wooden floor – was stuck on Auckland’s wharf until the week of 20th May. Installation of the floor is expected to take eight days. A final clean is projected for the week commencing 12th June. Landscape works will then get started, and the Hall Committee is hoping that the opening of the Hall could happen mid-July.

“Watch this space,” says George. “We want a truly community-based commemoration for the re-opening of this long-awaited community facility. The new Hall is looking really good, and we can’t wait for Te Puna to use it again. Bookings welcome!”