Dannevirke Information Centre to move, spurring petition against it

A 24-year-old Dannevirke business owner has taken the impending relocation of the town’s information centre into her own hands, creating a petition calling for answers.

Alison Amboy, who owns the Regent Cafe in Dannevirke, said she created both an online and a physical petition in response to the proposed move out of the Viking-topped building at 156 High St.

People in the community had told her it had left them “blindsided”.

Tararua District Council said the service is likely to be relocated to the Dannevirke council service centre, though a final decision has yet to be made.

It is not publicly consulting before the decision because “the same service of providing information to visitors and locals will continue”, a spokesperson said.

Amboy said she started the petition independently and it did not involve the committee running the information centre.

Alison Amboy said she would present her petition at the end of the month.

Amboy’s petition argues the centre’s closure is not clearly disclosed in the Long Term Plan 2024–2034 consultation, and vague terms like “integration of services” were used, without specifically naming the centre, leaving the public unaware of a potential move for the community resource.

“We’re calling for the council to pause, listen, and engage with the community properly.

“This isn’t just about a building – it’s about trust and public accountability.”

A notice taped to the window of the centre on High St said its final day of trading would be June 27, and the service is required by the council to vacate the building by June 30.

Amboy said her main concern with the relocation was the predicted influx of travellers with the Manawatū Tararua Highway opening to traffic from June.

“Everyone is talking about how we are meant to get a lot of tourists and travellers through, and where is the first point of contact?

“A lot of it is at the information centre.”

She said the proposed new location at 26 Gordon St would not be as easily accessible to tourists who didn’t know the area.

Amboy said there would be an impact on locals who used the service for bus bookings and promotion of businesses.

“It’s got a lot of the history behind it, and a lot of the older locals can see that, and they are very upset about it.”

A Tararua District Council spokesperson said they were aware of concerns and confusion, particularly on social media and through an online petition.

They said the only change, aside from the location, is that the service would be more cost-efficient and with longer opening hours at the council service centre.

“Ratepayers have given council a clear message to save money and look for efficiencies.

“Visitors will still be able to access brochures, maps, local event information, travel bookings and advice from trained staff.”

The spokesperson said that in 2024, before the release of the integrated services change proposal, the Dannevirke Information Centre Incorporated Society approached the council with concerns over the service’s future and their ability to meet ongoing employment needs.

The Dannevirke Information Centre is currently located in the town hall, which is owned by Tararua District Council.

The council made an offer to bring the information centre under council management, including the employment of the current staff member.

“This offer was declined by the Incorporated Society, and they decided to continue to manage it in-house.

“The council progressed with an internal change proposal, which looked at how services are delivered across libraries, customer services and information functions.”

The society did not wanted to comment for this article.

The spokesperson said the council was no longer able to take on an additional staff member, and data showed that most users of the centre were locals rather than tourists.

Tararua District Council previously provided an annual grant of $55,468 to the Dannevirke Information Centre Incorporated Society, the largest funding allocation of information centre grants in the district.

Through the 2025/26 Annual Plan, the council proposed removing this funding as part of a broader strategy outlined in the Long Term Plan.

A final decision on the information centre has not yet been made, and consultation for the annual plan is open until May 15 at Annual Plan 2025/26 Tararua District Council.

Amboy planned to present the petition to the council at the end of the month.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.