'Leaky' Katikati Action Centre out of action

BAD STATE: Principal Neil Harray points to the product on the column exterior of the Action Centre which is flaking and peeling.

The Action Centre at Katikati College will be out of action for the next five months while extensive repair work is carried out after it was identified as a leaky building.

A building inspection on the $1m facility, built in 2004 using a 50:50 partnership model between the Katikati College Board of Trustees (and donations form the local community and various trusts) and the Ministry of Education, found that the building required urgent repair work, which is expected to start on Tuesday.

Principal Neil Harray said this means the Action Centre will be closed for school and public use.

"The closure will cause significant disruption to the school's PE and Health faculty and the numerous groups and organisations that use the centre.

"This is a complex, lengthy project that has taken some time to finalise," he said.

In 2010 it became apparent the exterior columns of the Action Centre were cracking and deteriorating. The roof in places had been leaking and in one cupboard wide cracks could be seen letting daylight through.

"After initial discussions with the Ministry of Education property division and our previous property project manager we didn't get a great deal of progress and things got worse quite quickly.

"After a great deal of further investigation, a change of project managers and far greater support from the Ministry, we were able to get a building report completed in November 2012."

All legal avenues regarding the project have been investigated by the Ministry and the outcome for Katikati College is that it is responsible for up to 50 per cent of the repair costs. The Ministry has been able to fund up to 75 per cent of the cost and absorb some of the cost of the new building code requirements.

"After a great deal of further negotiations and discussions, the upshot is that we now need to contribute $120,000."

Mr Harray said a great deal of personal time and energy over the past five years had gone into trying to get the problem with the building resolved. He said the school had managed to put aside just over $20,000 to ensure they can get the project started. However they would like appeal to the wider community to help support them in restoring the Action Centre to its full former glory.

"With ever increasing demands on our budget, this is something that will effect the funding of our core business -- the students in the classroom.

"Any funds we can source to help us in this situation will be gratefully appreciated."

Board of Trustees chairman Peter McCormack said the extra cost means a new tech block, classroom refurbishments and update to the library would be put on hold.

The school has the luxury of two gymnasiums so changes have been made at the Meades Gym to accommodate staff and students. New entry doors have been installed on the western side of the gym, as there will be no access from the Action Centre building. New windows have been installed at the canteen and a new office created for PE staff.

Community asset out of action

New toilets have been fitted into the current outside toilets and two port-o-coms will be positioned in the carpark by the netball courts as temporary changing rooms.

The Katikati College Action Centre was opened by Dame Susan Devoy in July 2004 and in 2005 won a Bronze Award in the Commercial under $2m category in the Tauranga Registered Master Builders House of the Year and Commercial Awards.

For the past 11 years the centre has proven to be a great community asset with a number of groups using it outside of school hours -- social netball, basketball, Katikati Football Club, social badminton, Katikati College Resource Centre (holiday program), primary schools' volleyball, Katikati Wrestling Club (for regional and national events) and for the occasional 'one-off' event.

The majority are regular users.