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Mangawhaifocus February 24, 2025
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Cash for calendar The restoration of the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service clubhouse got a shot in the arm last week when Mangawhai Lions handed over a cheque for $8500. The money was raised from the sale of the Lions 2025 calendar, which featured scenes of Mangawhai captured in a photography competition held last year. Lions president Karen Carter (red shirt) said the calendar had received a lot of support from the community and it was “a privilege to gift the money to such a worthy cause.” Surf club chair Jess Costello (white shirt) said the surf club was extremely grateful for the funds and was looking forward to giving back by volunteering at the Lions Food and Wine Festival on March 15. “The surf club has a lot going on and we’ve still got so much ahead of us, so we really appreciate all the support from the Lions and the community. Thank you.”
Council shelves Mangawhai library project Kaipara District Council has pulled the plug on a plan to build a new library and community hub in Mangawhai, at least in the foreseeable future. It has also paused a similar plan in Dargaville. After considering concept plans and discussing a projected cost of $14 million for just the Mangawhai facility, elected representatives expressed concern that planning was getting out of control. Several councillors questioned the process staff had followed when consulting with the Mangawhai and Dargaville communities, and questioned the growth and financial assumptions that staff and consultants had made.
Feedback sought Council sought community feedback on the library projects during its Long Term Plan (2024-2027) consultation last year. At a council briefing earlier this month, staff said that based on that consultation, the hubs should include library functions, meeting spaces and facilitate a variety of modern community hub activities. It was accepted that the current 91sqm Mangawhai library was too small, had access issues and lacked basic facilities such as a public toilet. Until mid-last year, it was run by volunteers. The two potential sites investigated were Mangawhai Park, beside the fire station,
where a two-storey building was envisaged covering just over 1000sqm, and a one-storey building with generous outside decking space at Urlich Park, off Moir Street. The initial budget for Mangawhai was $6 million, which was to be funded through debt ($3 million) and development contributions ($3m). Neither of these concept plans, for Mangawhai Park and Urlich Park, will proceed despite the urgent need for better library facilities in Mangawhai.
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