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Rodney Local Board will have a new purpose-built base in Warkworth from next month, providing office space for members and staff and a venue for public meetings.
The site is at 3 Elizabeth Street, a double-fronted shop and office space formerly occupied by Jennian Homes, and opposite the Vet Farm & Pet Clinic.
Auckland Council staff hope building works will be finished and the premises able to open by the end of next month, subject to any construction material delays or impacts caused by the continuing effects of covid.
Once opened, the building will host Rodney Local Board business meetings every other month, with alternate meetings being held in the southern part of the region at Council’s Huapai service centre.
Previously, monthly meetings have been held at Auckland Council’s Orewa service centre, which was sold in 2020 and is due to be vacated in the coming year. Before the pandemic, Rodney Local Board meetings were also held either at Warkworth Town Hall or Te Whare Oranga community centre in Parakai.
However, Council’s acting head of corporate property, Wendy Jones, said it had become clear that Board staff and members had a set of requirements that could not be met by these venues.
“Many other locations and sites were considered, along with existing facilities,” she said. “However, these did not meet the specific requirements needed for Local Boards and/or could not be modified in a way that would cater to the requirements.
“The intention is to provide public meeting spaces that are comfortable, have good audio/visual technology for presenting and facilitating online participation, and good acoustics so everyone can hear clearly.”
She said 3 Elizabeth Street enabled Council to create a space that met the functionality needed for working and for hosting workshops and meetings open to the public.
“The new office will contain workspace for the Local Board services team and other council staff who support the Rodney Local Board.
“There is also workspace and several meeting rooms for Board members to use, including a boardroom for the regular Board workshops and formal meetings with the public.”
Jones added that the boardroom would be equipped with audio/visual technology that would allow online virtual meetings to be held.
Questions on the cost of building alterations and leasing the new premises, and from where funding was being sourced, as well as on its opening hours, were unable to be answered as Mahurangi Matters went to press, due to relevant staff being on leave at the time.
The operation of Council’s offices in Baxter Street will not be affected.
