Supporters of the Mt Vic Hub in Wellington say they were “blindsided” by the removal of funding for the community centre, but Councillor Nicola Young has labelled it a “legacy project”.
Photo: RNZ / Penny Smith
A long-running community hub in Wellington’s Mt Victoria is facing possible closure after the council’s Grants Subcommittee voted not to renew its funding for the coming financial year.
The decision has sparked concern among supporters of the Mt Vic Hub, who say the organisation was “blindsided” by its funding application being rejected despite receiving a positive recommendation from council officers.
Mt Vic Hub chair Johnny Crawford said the trust that operates the centre was completely taken aback when he received a phone call from a councillor less than 48 hours before the grants meeting informing him that funding was likely to be withdrawn.
”We entered this funding round in good faith and provided clear evidence of our outcomes, community impact, partnerships and financial accountability,” he said.
”Council officers clearly agreed when they recommended a continuation of funding.”
Mt Vic Hub chair Johnny Crawford said the Mt Vic Hub was the only community centre in Wellington’s network to lose its funding through the latest grants round.
Photo: RNZ / Penny Smith
The Mt Vic Hub, operated by the New Crossways Community Trust, is one of Wellington’s network of community centres.
While it operates from a small premises on Elizabeth Street, Crawford said much of its work took place throughout the wider community.
He said the hub hosted meetings, community dinners, olive harvest events and provided a drop-in space with access to a printer, internet and workspace.
It also managed bookings for facilities at Clyde Quay School and supported a range of community groups.
Crawford said the funding application sought support for operational costs including rent, staffing and utilities.
“We hadn’t really heard any criticism of the work that we were doing during the application process,” he said.
“All our interactions with council staff were positive.”
The hub hosts meetings, community dinners, olive harvest events.
Photo: RNZ / Penny Smith
Crawford said the Mt Vic Hub was the only community centre in Wellington’s network to lose its funding through the latest grants round.
At issue was funding of approximately $80,000 that council officers had recommended be approved. The trust had initially applied for just over $111,000.
Crawford said the only explanation he had received directly was that some councillors questioned whether the organisation delivered sufficient value for money.
”The precise reason given to me was that we weren’t having meetings in the space when a councillor walked past,” he said.
”But meetings in the hub itself are only a small part of what we do.”
He said the trust had not been given an opportunity to respond to any concerns before the decision was made.
‘Legacy project’ – Nicola Young
The council’s Grants Subcommittee chair, Councillor Nicola Young, rejected claims that the organisation had been blindsided.
Wellington City Council Grants Subcommittee chair Nicola Young.
Photo: RNZ / Sharon Brettkelly
Young said community organisations had been given a year’s notice that historic funding arrangements were ending and that all applicants would need to reapply under a new grants process with no guarantee of continued support.
”A year’s notice is not being blindsided,” she said.
Young said the grants fund was oversubscribed by approximately $3 million and councillors faced difficult choices between competing applications.
“We decided unanimously not to provide a grant because the other applications had more merit,” she said.
Young said the committee prioritised organisations providing city-wide services and support for vulnerable communities.
She also labelled the Mt Vic Hub a legacy project and questioned its value for money, adding that it had a small physical footprint and that there were other meeting venues in the suburb.
“We’ve got to prioritise our spending,” Young said.
“We couldn’t give funding to organisations like Life Flight and Surf Life Saving. Those are organisations that save people’s lives, which is far more important than organising, you know, making soap from olive oil, for example.”
An event hosted by the hub.
Photo: RNZ / Penny Smith
The funding dispute comes as Wellington City Council continues efforts to contain spending and limit rates increases amid ongoing financial pressures.
Crawford argued the loss of funding threatened a community resource that had served Mt Victoria residents for decades.
”There has been a community centre in Mt Victoria for 50 years,” he said.
”To be losing this much-loved centre after such a long time is a significant blow to our community, particularly at a time where people need increased support due to redundancies and the cost of living.”
The trust was seeking to mobilise community support in the hope of securing alternative funding, although Young said the Grants Subcommittee’s decision was final.
A public meeting was scheduled for Wednesday. Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul was expected to chair the meeting.
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