Partnership saves building from demolition
Naylor Love’s partnership with the Pest Free Kaipātiki Restoration Society was a significant factor in Kaipātiki Local Board and Auckland Council agreeing to gift the community organisation the disused Glenfield Bowling Club.
The bowling club building, which was destined to be demolished, comes with a number of issues which Pest Free Pest Free Kaipātiki Restoration Society (PFK) will be responsible for repairing before being able to occupy the building in Ross Reserve. It was Naylor Love’s timely evaluation of those issues, and estimation of costs from Naylor Love Project Manager Annie Day, that gave PFK the confidence to go ahead and put an Expression of Interest in for the building. Without this help, PFK would not have had enough knowledge or confidence to move forward.
PFK is a community-led charity working to restore native biodiversity across the Kaipātiki Local Board area of Auckland. They help build stronger, healthier, better connected, resilient communities by supporting groups with new native planting in reserves, working with them to create nesting hollows for birds, and encouraging individuals to plant appropriate trees, which provide important food sources for native wildlife. Their 13 staff are currently working from an office that, at best, fits two people, with their tool shed and trailer in different locations.
Building materials diverted from waste from Naylor Love’s construction sites in the city will be channelled to the bowling club to help with repairs, and some of company’s suppliers including Marley, Leader Scaffolding and Pink Batts have offered to supply materials.
This professional support, expertise and forward planning resulted in unanimous support from the local board to approve a lease for the land under the building and the bowling green and for the council’s governing body to transfer ownership of the building.
The Mayor and Councillors were impressed with the model of cooperation between Kaipātiki Local Board, a commercial enterprise and a not for profit organisation, a model they would like to see considered when making decisions about other community buildings. The decision last week was described as a win-win for all involved, with the council and local board not facing upgrade or demolition costs and the community benefiting from PFK taking over the building.
Together the Kaipātiki Local Board, Naylor Love and Pest Free Kaipātiki have saved about 55 tonnes of building waste going to landfill. It will also potentially allow the reserve around this building to be planted, saving mowing and contributing in a small way to carbon sequestration.
As well as Naylor Love, PFK has the support of several local businesses, including Martin & Green (project management), Gaze Burt (legal services), ASAP (who provided the inspiring artists’ impression of the finished site), electrical inspector Dave Nicol, and Burgess Treep & Knight Architects.
Previously, Naylor Love has supported PFK by joining in planting days and improving a workspace, but this very welcome partnership is at a new level.
