Pasifika fale’s long wait behind fencing
Fences remain up around the city’s new Pasifika fale more than a year after its official opening, as those behind it work to keep the wider project on budget.
It had been hoped to have everything at the prominent Mill St site opposite the stadium finalised last year, following on from the big fale building opening in time for the HSBC New Zealand Sevens Hamilton event in January.
However, K’aute Pasfika Trust officials say the fences remain because the site is still a construction zone, with the completed facility now on track to open midyear and within its $12.5 million budget.
“That’s still the number,” said chief executive Rachel Karalus yesterday.
However, commercial considerations had pushed the expected completion date out. The extra time reflected negotiations to ensure construction at the right price to keep the project on budget.
However, Karalus said progress on finalising things has been ongoing so the trust could fully move its operations to the centre and provide a hub “for services that span the well-being domain” for Pasifika people and others.
An early learning centre opened in April last year is providing services to 45 children, with the capacity to rise to 85.
Other offerings – such as health, social services, whanau ora, education and employment – currently operating from Victoria St premises will be able to fully transition to the centre on opening.
The health services include a doctor and nurses.
K’aute Pasifika is also developing an integrated care model so clients “can transition seamlessly from service to service” either at the centre or in the community. “They’ll be supported by one key worker.”
Karalus noted it was hard to work with families in a “transformational” way if they weren’t securely housed.
A Waikato Pacific Housing Trust had been formed. “The role is to provide pathways and opportunities for predominantly Pasifika families to be able to have a secure housing position,” said K’aute Pasifika trustee Joeli Ratuki.
The trust would help place people in accommodation developed by others and potentially contribute funds to housing projects to make them more suitable for Pasifika people.
Ratuki noted Pasifika families could often be large and need space for “intergenerational living”.
There was talk last year of K’aute Pasifika potentially helping facilitate a Pacific sevens tournament for Hamilton in the wake of the New Zealand sevens ending. Of that idea, Karalus said “it’s still there” but low down on priorities.
However, Ratuki said the trust was keen to work with rugby authorities and Pasifika sports leaders to create community events. “We want to use them to help inspire our young people.”
K’aute Pasifika expanding nationally and regionally to places like Tokoroa and Huntly had been raised previously. “It’s still a work in progress,” Karalus said. “It’s very much in our line of sight.”
On getting more state support for trust activities, she noted the recent change of government “so those conversations have had to start again”.