‘We’re bursting at the seams’
It’s the source of vital resources and help for the multitudes of migrants and refugees who arrive in the Waikato, and it’s struggling to cope.
The Waikato Settlement Centre in Claudelands Park is a bustling hive of activity on Monday morning, a throng of numerous newcomers to Hamilton seeking assistance in overcoming all kinds of difficulties, from overcoming language barriers to obtaining driving lessons to seeking work in a particular industry.
‘‘This is actually a quiet day,’’ says co-manager Tania Pointon. ‘‘There’s usually no empty seats in the waiting area. You wait until the English language classes start up. We will be really packed then.’’
About 30,000 people make use of the centre in some way each year and on average 50 new migrants are registered there every month. More than 150 interpreters conversant in more than 50 languages are casually employed by the centre’s interpretation service.
It is for that reason the centre is looking to expand its premises into the park. But before it can do that, the council needs to change the land use designation.
The building was, in a former life, the clubrooms for Hamilton Marist rugby club before the Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust took up a lease from the Hamilton City Council in 2004.
The lease for the centre – formerly known as the Migrant Resource Centre expired in September and is now ‘‘rolling over’’ on a month-by-month basis. However the trust is keen to remain in that location, as it has become a focal point for the region’s migrant community.
Because the park is classified as a recreation reserve and the activities that take place at the centre don’t really align with that classification, it is proposed the council to re-classify the centre and part of the surrounding park as ‘‘local purpose (community facilities) reserve’’.
That change is due to be discussed at the council’s hearings and engagement committee meeting tomorrow. If the land use change is approved, it will allow the trust to forge ahead with the next stage of their expansion plans into the park.
The centre’s management team of Pointon, Leanne Salisbury and Ellie Wilkinson said that while a larger centre would result in the loss of a small amount of recreational space in the park, the immediate benefits were numerous and tangible.
‘‘There is no council money, no ratepayer money going into this,’’ Pointon said. ‘‘It’s going to be entirely self-funded from philanthropic trusts and our own financial reserves.’’
‘‘Paving the way for a successful settlement is the core of what we do . . . but there are many community organisations that make use of this space. It’s a collaborative community space that’s open to everyone.’’
The council received 41 submissions in response to a call for feedback on the reclassification proposal, 38 of which were in support and two in opposition – both from nearby residents expressing concerns over the potential for increased noise and the reduction of the area on which children could play.
The submissions will be discussed at the committee meeting tomorrow, and, if approved, will go before the February 20 sitting of the council’s community committee to be ratified.
‘‘There is no council money, no ratepayer money going into this.’’
Tania Pointon