Community Centre Scheme

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 28, 9 March 1948, Page 5

Community Centre Scheme

Minister To Discuss Proposition Here Today Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs, is visiting Whakatane today. He is to meet the Borough Council this afternoon to discuss a proposal for a community centre as a war memorial. Other bodies likely to be interested in the community centre proposition have also been invited to be represented. It will be recalled that when the matter of a war memorial was discussed previously, there was strong support for the idea of making the Domain into something really worthy of that purpose, but there was the difficulty that a playing and recreational area alone and without a building would possibly not qualify for a Government subsidy as a community centre. However, a letter from the Minister to Cr Sullivan was tabled at the Borough Council’s meeting last night explaining that, though such an area was not in itself a community' centre, it might, in special circumstances where the other cultural and social needs of the community were catered for, possibly be so regarded.

A community centre might be alright if it could be in the centre of the town and incorporate such things as the Plunket rooms and the library and have a full-time attendant, said the Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, but such a building on the Domain would not be much use. Cr Sullivan said to provide a scheme that would qualify for the Government subsidy by serving as a complete community centre would probably place a big strain on the Borough to find its share of the money.

It was decided to defer further discussion until after hearing the Minister’s- views this afternoon.