Annual Plan 2026/2027
Written Submission on behalf TDCC
Tapawera & Districts Community Council supports a pause on the proposed Tapawera Hub project at this time. Further, we do not support the proposed hub plan in it’s current form. We recognize the potential loss of the DIA funding, but feel strongly that the community is not in a position to make decisions or comment on the desirability, or not, of the hub. There are: – no up-to-date projections of operating costs – no indications of staffing resources – no up-to-date list of who or what the proposed hub will cater for – no list of which activities are no longer planned to be included, etc. – It’s unclear whether commercial entities will be able to operate from it. We note that the artists impression of the proposed hub currently being circulated includes the words ‘Op Shop’ on the building, despite TDCC, as operators of the Op Shop, writing to the steering committee making it clear that the Op Shop will not be moving from our own site. We have serious misgivings about the depth of knowledge within the community, and in the fallibility of the information being offered in justification, upon which folk are forming emotionally-based opinions, rather than being able to use sound facts. Whilst the community is divided, and drowning in misinformation, it would seem prudent to wait until properly informed consultation has taken place. The project remains in the LTP, which allows time and resources to re-look at the project with up-to-date information.
Verbal submission presented to TDC 14th May 2026
TDCC feel we should give some background to where the community is right now, thus providing context for our position.
For the last several years, many in our community had questions regarding the proposed hub, with no open path for clear responses, either publicly or privately. For example, the then TDCC committee effectively censored discussion by arbitrarily refusing to publish concerned letters in our community newsletter ‘The Informer.’ We have since removed this heavy-handed control.
Eventually our community was told the decision on going ahead with a new Hub had been made, and that the project was now being driven by TDC. However, TDC staff refuted this, leaving folk confused and frustrated.
Unfortunately, the TDC-led consultation regarding potential sites only added to the feeling of being bulldozed. Why take part in choosing a site when you’re not sure what the project actually is? Does opting for a site indicate that you approve of the project? Folk didn’t know what to do, nor where to find correct information.
Anecdotal feedback we’ve received raises a number of issues about the proposed site, including the loss of not only trees planted by community members, but also popular green space, and frequently-used links.
Despite repeated requests, no current list of potential users is available, and the original list is easily refuted. Rumours are rife; recent community posts suggest a butchery, and astonishingly, that the hub will attract over $10 million worth of activity into the area; it’s difficult to see how.
A briefly-run private survey presented to our April meeting, has 222 adult residents calling for a full stop to the Hub project, and just 2 supporting continuation.
Tapawera Connect, funded externally through DIA, with paid employees, continue to actively promote the proposed Hub without clearly identifying a potential conflict of interest as the proposed main user. This has caused much community comment.
In November, our outgoing committee excluded the Deputy Mayor, TDC Councillors, and several well-respected community members who had turned up to listen to the community at our AGM. This was a very low point for our community. Trust, transparency, and community unity was now gone.
The meeting was forced to withdraw a motion to sell the Community Centre building. A later public meeting fully affirmed the community’s support of the Centre. Ironically, much feedback has included how the building was operating as a community hub until late last year, alive and busy, despite the physical issues caused by a lack of maintenance and foresight.
Since taking office, our focus has been on open and honest inclusivity. Our meetings are public, with community input encouraged.
We took a neutral position in regards to the proposed Hub, so that our community could take a breath. Unfortunately, despite our requests, material presented by hub proponents to encourage Annual Plan submissions used incorrect imaging; how do folk make an informed submission when the resource material is fundamentally incorrect?
No current proposals resolve the underlying issues concerning the community; time needs to be taken to consult using correct and transparent information. Taking a helicopter view, we intend to consult with management of the other six publicly-used Tapawera facilities, to understand their potential and challenges. There may be an opportunity for cross-committee support and projects which benefit everyone.
TDCC asks that this council not lose sight of how our community got to where we are now, and support our efforts to take time to transparently consult and inform, to ensure that the community is on board with whatever comes next.
