17 Dec 2018

The Banks Peninsula Community Board will recommend to Christchurch City Council that it consult the Akaroa community about giving a one-off grant of up to $1.3 million to the Akaroa Community Trust.

The grant will be used by the Trust to help pay its share of the cost of building the new 12-bed Akaroa Health Centre.

A computer generated image of the new Akaroa Health Centre.

A computer generated image of the new Akaroa Health Centre.

The Canterbury District Health Board is partly funding the $5.9 million centre, which is being built to replace the earthquake damaged Akaroa Hospital. The Akaroa Health Trust has committed to raising $2.5 million for the project.

It has succeeded in raising $1.27 million to date and last year approached the Council for help to secure the balance of the funds. It asked the Council to consider introducing a targeted rate on properties within the Akaroa area.

At its meeting today the Banks Peninsula Community Board decided to recommend that the Council agree in principle, subject to community consultation, to provide the Akaroa Community Trust with a one-off $1.3 million grant.

It is recommending the Council consult the community on different options for raising that money, including a targeted rate over either a four or 10 year period.

“The Akaroa Health Centre is an essential community facility and we support in principle the Council providing some funding towards this project, but we need to have a conversation with our community to gauge whether there is widespread support for a targeted rate,’’ says Board Deputy Chairperson Jed O’Donoghue.

“We want to know if the community supports the idea of a targeted rate and, if so, what time period they think it should apply for. It is important their voice is heard in this decision-making process,’’ Mr O’Donoghue says.