Clutha Women’s Refuge funding increase declined

Clutha District Council has declined a $25,898 funding increase for Clutha Women’s Refuge.

At a council meeting at Balclutha this week, where decisions were made regarding long-term plan projects, the council decided not to approve a request for a funding increase for Clutha Women’s Refuge, and that the grant should remain at $8634 per year.

Gore Women’s Refuge, which runs the south Otago branch that opened at Balclutha in July, requested a total grant of $34,532 to fund the operation. It employs a social worker three days a week, who works out of a office in the St John Ambulance building in Balclutha.

In her submission presented to the council last week, Gore Women’s Refuge manager Sam Munroe said up until recently, St John donated use of the space, but now Women’s Refuge was paying $50 a week rent, plus power, which would cost about $2600 per annum.

It would not be able to continue operating the Clutha service under the current funding model, where it was reliant on Ministry of Social Development grants and donations, she said.

The council decided that as a social service, Women’s Refuge was not part of its ‘‘core business’’.

‘‘As tragic as it is that the service is needed, it should be other agencies that fund it, not the council,’’ Cr Bruce Graham said.

However, in discussion in defining what were the council’s core services, councillors agreed to invest in the district’s young people by granting the Clutha District Youth Council $10,000 to kick-start a campaign against illegal substance use, such as meth.

Cr Gaynor Finch said she applauded a youth-led initiative and hoped it would make the next generation ‘‘sit up and take notice . . . and say a big fat no thank you’’ to drugs.

Clutha District mayor Bryan Cadogan said the youth council, supported by police had taken ‘‘a brave stand’’. ‘‘This is the first time in New Zealand that I’ve heard of young people taking a stance, and I’d be gutted if we didn’t support it.’’

There was concern from some councillors about what the council was actually supporting, the youth council or drug awareness and, if it was the latter, then social services agencies might be better suited to spearhead the initiative.

It was eventually decided that based on the success and high engagement level of recent youth-oriented initiatives such as the Be Motivated Be You workshops, that the district’s youth were equipped with the right level of enthusiasm and commitment to take a lead in the campaign.