Kaiapoi Hub eagerly anticipated

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

From local democracy reporter David Hill:

Satisfy Food Rescue is looking forward to work beginning on a permanent facility to house its growing service.

The North Canterbury-based food rescue charity is one of several organisations set to benefit from the proposed Kaiapoi Community Hub in the former red zone.

‘‘We are excited to be working with the other stakeholders for this project to see it come to fruition,’’ Satisfy Food Rescue manager Stef van Meer said.

‘‘Each year we are receiving and distributing more and more food to help sustain the community organisations we support.

‘‘A purpose built facility as part of the Kaiapoi Community Hub will work wonders for us in the long term as we see the need for our service increase.’’

Satisfy retrieves food from local supermarkets, businesses and residents with surplus garden produce, which it passes on to food banks across the Waimakariri and Hurunui districts.

In the last financial year Satisfy distributed 45% more food than the year ending March 2021.

Satisfy collaborated with other organisations last year to form Food Secure North Canterbury and has secured funding from the Ministry for Social Development to build a new facility as part of the Kaiapoi Community Hub.

The Waimakariri District Council has signed off an additional $760,000 in the 2022-23 annual plan, to increase its contribution to $1.475 million.

Work is expected to begin early next year on the proposed hub, which will be located off Courtenay Drive, not far from the south bank of the Kaiapoi River and to the east of Countdown.

The Kaiapoi Men’s Shed and the Kaiapoi Croquet Club are also joining the hub, with room for more groups, the council’s community and recreation manager, Chris Brown, said.

Deputy mayor Neville Atkinson said the hub was ‘‘an extremely positive development’’ for Kaiapoi.

‘‘It’s a great use of that land and a positive investment, and these groups make such a positive difference to the community.’’

The council’s contribution will be about one-third of the overall costs, providing infrastructure including the three waters, car parking, ecological linkages and a walkway.

The balance of the funding will come from the organisations using the facility and outside funding sources such as the Rātā Foundation.

A project manager has been appointed to lead the project through the detailed design and tendering process, Brown said.

‘‘It’s likely to be next year before we get a spade in the ground. I would expect it to be around February or March.

‘‘The way the hub has been designed allows for the whole community to use and access the whole area in a park-like setting.

‘‘It will be a place where people feel comfortable and can recreate formally and informally.’’

The three groups are in the process of establishing a trust to oversee the running of the site, with support from the council in a model similar to Rangiora’s Northbrook Studios.