Waihinga Centre
Stage One given the Council Go-Ahead
After several years of planning and extensive fundraising, strengthening work on the Town Hall and construction of the Waihinga Centre has been given the go ahead by South Wairarapa District Council (SWDC).
At an Extraordinary Council meeting on the 18th January, SWDC approved the project funding and loan arrangements for Stage One of the Waihinga Centre project. A price of $5.332million was approved for the project which includes a $200,000 contingency.
The final price included an additional $172,000 towards the town hall strengthening which will see the building strengthened to 100% of the building code. A large part of this increase is the result of the geotechnical analysis requiring deeper foundations than originally anticipated.
A fixed price contract will be signed with Riggs Zschokke and work has begun on site. The building and strengthening work will be overseen by project manager Dave Borman and the Waihinga Centre Construction group (a sub-committee of the Steering Group). A detailed build schedule is being prepared and it is expected that the work will take in the region of a year to complete.
With a final design in place and material quantities known there is now an opportunity for SWDC to seek additional sponsorship for the project, by way of gifting and supplier discounts. Rigg Zschokke has confirmed they will pass on any cost savings that are achieved.
Max Stevens, chair of the Waihinga Charitable Trust is extremely pleased that the project has been approved. “A number of people have worked very hard to get the project to this point, I would like to thank them and our amazing donors and fundraising volunteers for making this new town hub a reality.”
Every Little Helps
The Waihinga Charitable Trust is continuing to raise funds for the project and has set up a Give a Little page to make it easy for people to contribute. All donations will go towards the Waihinga Centre and Playground. You can donate now at: givealittle.co.nz/cause/waihingacentre
Supporter Profile – Ruth and Peter Graham
“The Waihinga Centre Project was a great opportunity for us to support our adopted community”, says Ruth Graham. “Peter and I have benefited from the amenities created by people who came before us. This was our chance to make a contribution too ”.
Looking for a retirement challenge, the Grahams were attracted to Martinborough by the opportunity to develop their own olive grove. They named it Atutahi – the Maori name for Canopus, an important navigational star.
Equally important in choosing Martinborough were the dark, clear night skies. A serious amateur astronomer, Peter has built his own observatory on the property and is currently collecting data to support asteroid research.
Ruth and Peter are looking forward to seeing the Centre up and running. “It will generate a new momentum in our village by bringing life to that side of The Square, and create a vibrant cultural hub to attract even more events and activities to town”
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