Hostel sale horrifies local volunteer crew

Whangarei's Youth Hostel Association committee is horrified the Whangarei hostel is being sold, but YHA chief executive Mark Wells says the decision is about "moving forward".

The committee has been doing a slow burn since learning about plans to sell last February, and the months have passed with no indication of a future for the youth hostel movement in Whangarei.

Tenders for the property and business - which can be bought separately or as a package - close with Colliers Whangarei at 4pm today.

Committee chairman Gilbert Whalley said losing the hostel would leave Northland with just one, at Paihia.

He said thousands of dollars worth of voluntary work had gone into the hostel over a 40-year period and the group felt the issue could have been debated more thoroughly.

The national body had taken over administration about six years ago.

"To see it all go with no replacement hostel ... we are very sad," he said.

Mr Whalley said the YHA seemed to be moving away from modest accommodation in the regions, instead focusing on financing larger properties in the metropolitan areas. The sale meant the loss of a valuable property in an excellent location and would impact the local economy - the hostel attracted about 3500 visitors a year even in recession, and about 5000 pre-recession.

CEO Mr Wells said the association was committed to ensuring the YHA had a presence in locations such as Whangarei, "albeit on a different basis". The decision to sell was part of a drive to achieve a YHA hostel network that was a mix of directly owned hostels and others that were independently owned.

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