Turangi youth centre should be ready soon

Taupo Times, Volume 23, Issue 54, 9 July 1974, Page 13

Turangi youth centre should be ready soon

Turangi's new youth centre should be ready for use early next month, depending on the availability of materials needed to upgrade the old dining hall building. The 84 feet long hall — formerly a cookhouse at Downer's camp — has been moved to a central site near the Turangi bowling green and restoration work has begun. Ministry of Works and Development staff are to lay 350 feet of sewerage line and build toilets as soon as the necesSary equipment is available. Young people in Turangi have already raised money to buy things needed for the clubhouse, and gifts of chairs, tables, pots and pans, crockery, tea towels and other household supplies would be welcomed. The clubhouse will be used as a social centre for young people, under the supervision of the Tongariro Welfare Association. A youth centre for Turangi was first proposed by members of the Maori

Women's Welfare League, who were concerned about the lack of facilities for young people in the town. The league approached the Tongariro power development pfoject engineer, Mr B. Dekker, earlier this year for a suitable building where youngsters could get together to play billiards, table tennis and "strum their guitars." When he put the matter before the Turangi Liaison Committee in March, Mr Dekker said there was a real need in Turangi for a social centre where young people with nothing to do could amuse themselves "and keep out of trouble." The idea of transferring the old cookhouse to a site near other social halls in Turangi received the blessing of the Taupo County Council and things moved from there. Although the old building is of untreated timber, it is being upgraded. Toilets and a kitchen are to be added, along with sewerage and electrical reticulation.