Securing community asset
The future of a community hall is looking up after being under the pump to secure funding for muchneeded repairs.
The Whenuapai Village Hall has been in need of a new septic system since late-2016.
In May, the Upper Harbour Local Board agreed to fund almost $18,000 towards the instalment of a new system.
Upper Harbour Local Board chairwoman Lisa Whyte said in a statement the board considered the application at the first available opportunity once it had been completed.
‘‘The hall provides a vital community facility and venue for hire for the Whenuapai and wider community,’’ Whyte wrote.
The Whenuapai Ratepayers and Residents Association officially own the hall but lease the land it is built on from the council.
Whenuapai Rates and Residents Association chairman Kirke Campbell said the tank usually only needed pumping out around once a year but now needed pumping every month.
Pumping costs so far will be reimbursed by Auckland Council.
Built in 1955, the hall accommodates up to 100 people and is used almost everyday by the community, including for special occasions such as weddings. Whyte said the hall will be even more important as the surrounding area develops and the population increases.