Akaroa community to be consulted on health hub funding

Residents in the Akaroa and bays area will be consulted about whether they are willing to help fund a $1.3 million grant for the new Akaroa Health Centre.

At a meeting today Christchurch City Council’s newly established Finance and Performance Committee of the Whole agreed in principle to a request from the Akaroa Community Health Trust (ACHT) for a one-off grant of $1.3 million.

An artist's impression of the new Akaroa Health Centre.

The Council proposes to recover the cost of the grant through a targeted rate on all properties within the Akaroa subdivision of the Banks Peninsula ward.

However, before the grant is finalised, the Committee wants Council staff to consult with property owners in the Akaroa and bays area about:

• Whether they support the Council making a grant that is recovered via a targeted rate.
• How long the fixed charge targeted rate should apply.

“Before we make any final decisions about whether to make the grant and set the targeted rate it’s important we give the affected community a change to share their views,”’’ says Cr Raf Manji, who chairs the Finance and Performance Committee of the Whole.

“We’re making this grant on behalf of the community so we’ll only be proceeding if we’re confident there is strong support for it from Akaroa ratepayers.”

The consultation will occur in March.

A Hearings Panel will consider any submissions received and then make recommendations to the Council, ahead of the Council meeting to adopt its 2019/20 Annual Plan.

The new Akaroa Health Centre is being built by the Canterbury District Health Board to replace the earthquake-damaged Akaroa Hospital. The Akaroa Health Trust has committed to raising $2.5 million towards the costs of the new centre and has so far managed to raise $1.27 million.