Community Halls are hubs of connection for rural communities.
Rotorua has 10 halls, in Kaharoa, Ōkāreka, Mamaku, Ngakuru, Ngongotaha, Reporoa, Rerewhakaaitu (2), Waikite Valley and Reporoa, built by the various communities they serve between 1945 and 1980 and vested with council in the mid-1980s.
The halls serve about 9,390 residents in total and are used for social and community activities.
Currently, each hall is overseen by a committee which is responsible for, among others, the following tasks:
managing bookings and usage;
reporting to council quarterly on usage and identified issues;
collecting and depositing booking revenue into council accounts;
notifying the council of any identified maintenance issues;
overseeing facility cleaning.
Community Halls workshop.
Elected members received a briefing on community halls last week that included background, the condition of halls, known usage, financial status and current known issues.
Community input will be sought to aid the development of a long-term strategy for Rotorua district’s community halls for consideration in the next Long-term Plan.
Reporoa & Mamaku Halls were temporarily closed.
Work has now begun to remediate structural issues on the Mamaku Hall, which should be completed in approximately February 2025.
Council staff are engaging local tradespeople to begin works on the Reporoa Hall early in 2025.
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