A New Chapter

A lot has happened in the last six months. Sadly the mechanisms of council and public corporate restructuring have put changes in motion. Our Log Cabin was inspected in July by the community tenancy coordinator of the Manukau City Council. At this checkup she spoke of the need for a new formal lease.

To cut a long saga short the lease proposal put forward requires our not-for-profit society to front up for an annual lease of NZD $14,000 when our current yearly income is lest the NZD $1000.

The Maraetai Beachlands Arts & Crafts Society members held a vote and rejected the Manukau City Council's offered lease so as of 31st January 2010 we are out.

This is the end of the era which began in 1976 when this society first took up a peppercorn lease on the Council building. We used to pay $16 a year. All electricity is paid separately by us and insurances.

The Council restructuring in that time has changed drastically and now the land on which this building is situated is under a separate Manukau 'Parks' entity from the corporate Manukau CCO (Council Controlled Organisation) which governs with user pays policies for community facilities. Ironically half of the $14,000 is what the CCO pays the Parks in rates ie, Manukau City Council is paying itself. The other half is what the Council pays the contractor who checks the water is potable once a week.

My personal hope is that our vacating this building does not place it back in line for demolition because I cannot see who will agree to take on this outragious lease in our stead.