Howick Local Board has decided to continue funding the Howick Leisure Centre Kauri Kids ECE programme until the end of the financial year, while it looks to find a new provider for the service.
The governing body confirmed funding to the programme would be cut in its annual budget adoption on 9 June leaving the local boards involved in the programme (Kaipātiki, Devonport-Takapuna, Hibiscus and Bays, Manurewa, and Ōtara-Papatoetoe) with the tough decision as to whether they would try to support the programme from their own, already-reduced budgets.
Local Board Chair Damian Light says the Howick Local Board has agreed to fund the additional operational costs of Kauri Kids Howick to ensure continuity of service until June 2024.
“This was a challenging discussion, especially given the short time frames and complexity of untangling the local operation from the regional delivery”, says Light.
“Due to the financial challenges faced by Auckland Council, all Local Boards have been faced with reduced budgets, making it even harder to take on additional challenges. However, we know that Kauri Kids is very important to many local families, so we’ve considered all the options available to us.”
Next steps
The local board celebrates the strong local support for Kauri Kids. While it is no longer a regional service, it is clearly well-loved and well-used by the community. It makes sense, then, for it to now be run by the community.
Light acknowledges that this has been an uncertain time for staff and customers of Kauri Kids so the board are pleased to be able to provide a clear plan forward.
“The funding provides time to explore alternatives and we’ve directed staff to identify one or more third party providers to deliver a similar service, utilising a model which aligns with the Kauri Kids values. We’ve provided a deadline of 30 June 2024 to provide certainty and reduce the financial risks for the Howick Local Board,” adds Light.
“Unfortunately, this has meant that were weren’t able to finalise our work programmes while we seek further advice on what we can reduce without significantly impacting the delivery. While not an ideal situation, we believe that the extra effort is worthwhile to protect this beloved community service.”
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