Demolition under way but The Pulse Whangarei allowed to stay

The Pulse is operating out of the buildings on the lower part of the site while the buildings behind it have been demolished. Photo/Michael Cunningham

A group of youth and family service providers will be allowed to stay on their Raumanga site after thinking they may have to relocate because of the demolition of buildings.

The Pulse, the home of around 31 service providers, was looking for potential sites for relocation in March after the Ministry of Education advised it could no longer hold on to the former Raumanga Primary School site as The Pulse was not strictly an education provider.

But while demolition work started on October 24 and is due to be completed in early December, the Ministry of Education has allowed The Pulse organisations to operate out of buildings on the lower part of the site until June 2019.

Te Ora Hou Northland, the head tenant, has been part of The Pulse for 17 years and acknowledged the Ministry could not hold the land and buildings.

"Te Ora Hou Northland would like to thank the Ministry of Education for the use of the site over this period.

"We are grateful to the Ministry for allowing us to continue to operate out of buildings on the lower part of the site until June 2019.

"This will also allow Te Ora Hou Northland, and around 31 different organisations and groups regularly using The Pulse facility, to continue to deliver programmes and services to the community, and allow time to make a smooth transition to a new facility."

The Ministry of Education is to subdivide the property into three parcels, retaining the land used by He Mataariki School for Teen Parents and the adjacent daycare.

But the other two parcels would be sold off.

No date has been set for the land to be subdivided however the Ministry anticipates subdivision preparation work to be completed in early 2018.

Once the subdivision is completed, the remainder of the site will go through the disposal process, under the Public Works Act.