Sick of waiting for a sanctuary

Young people are seen as a great resource in Glen Innes and locals want a safe place for them, but could it come too late, and at what cost? Jacqueline Smith reports Local youth need a place to be proud of,' says Tess Liew, project manager of Ka Mau Te Wero.
Since last November, her community group has made three submissions to Auckland City Council and the Tamaki community board for a cultural centre - ``a one-stop shop'.
They were under the impression that money had been allocated and Glen Innes would soon have a centre. But it never came up in the council agenda, and Tess says she feels left in the dark.
``People hear all kinds of rumours but are not told what's actually happening,' she says.
The Aucklander asked the council how long Glen Innes could expect to wait and found the proposal now lies in the council's Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP).
A council spokesperson says a music and arts centre in Glen Innes is a possibility by 2016.
Tamaki Intermediate's head girl, Susana Foster, 12 and head boy, Cameron Viiga, 13, say a centre would address a whole host of youth problems but 2016, or even 2012, will be too late.
``While the decision's are being made about the centre people are still doing bad things. All sorts of crimes will have already been committed,' says Susana, adding that kids her age are scared of older youths in their neighbourhood.
``They go around stealing from homes and picking on others.' Why? ``Because they don't have anything to do after school or in the weekends,' Cameron says.
Both Cameron and Susana say the area needs a centre, but it should not be left up to the council.
``It should be the community doing it. They know what's best,' Susana says.
``And they should be consulting each different community group; Niueans, Maori, Samoans to see what's needed, not just assume we are all the same and want the same thing,' adds Cameron.
The students agree a music and arts centre should also celebrate Glen Innes' diversity, which is 50 per cent Pacific Island and 20 per cent Maori.
``It will give our island families more opportunities to learn different parts of each culture, and learn other languages,' Cameron says.
Youthtown, which operates on Tripoli Ave after school, only seems to attract kids who have transport, he says.
The proposed centre needs to be built somewhere everyone can walk to and be open after school and at weekends, so there is always somewhere to go, says Cameron.
A meeting organised by youth two weeks ago highlighted that the kids still want somewhere to ``hang out'. Tess hopes the activities co-ordinator the council is recruiting at the moment will help speed up the process.
jacqueline.smith@theaucklander.co.nz