$120k given out by community boards

The Far North’s three community boards have distributed almost $120,000 during the past three months to sporting, cultural and community groups.

In March, Bay of IslandsWhangaroa Community Board granted the Russell Tennis Club $20,000 towards a new 40-squaremetre pavilion. In the club’s funding application, secretary Jane Newton said the new pavilion would provide a social hub for members and a space that the community can hire for meetings and social gatherings.

Meanwhile, the Te Hiku Community Board has assisted the Ahipara Boardriders Club with $30,000 towards a trailer and equipment.

The funding will go towards buying a lockable events trailer, power source, sound, and microphone system, amenities for cooking, shelter, and seating.

Ahipara Boardriders Club will share the equipment with Ahipara Surf Life Saving, Ahipara Takiwa roopu and Te Wairoa Challenge.

A $14,190 grant from KaikoheHokianga Community Board will help the Kohukohu bowling club to buy soil, grass seed and water tanks.

In its funding application, the club said it was extremely difficult to maintain bowling greens during the 2018/19 drought. Water tanks will provide an alternative to town supply water and would enable volunteers to water greens daily.

Other community board funding decisions since February include:

Te Hiku Community Board

$22,794.17 to Awanui Sports Complex to buy and install a submersible pump.

$2140 to R Tucker Thompson to sponsor one youth to attend a youth development voyage.

$500 to Kaitāia A&P Association to buy ribbons for a horse competition.

Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board

$2140 to R Tucker Thompson to

sponsor one youth to attend a youth development voyage.

$1650 to Rob Pink to buy, transport, and install sand for a manmade beach area at Clendon Esplanade, Rāwene.

$758 to Manaki Tinana Trust to buy a laptop to allow them to update their own keyless gym entry system.

Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board

$15,000 towards concept drawings

for The Strand at Russell from the board’s placemaking funds. The funding will help the community develop plans for a revamp of the community hub ad popular tourism destination.

$5,149 to the Rangitane Residents and Ratepayers Association towards the cost of replacing and updating CCTV cameras.

$4922 to R Tucker Thompson to sponsor two youth to attend a youth development voyage.