Whangārei Art Museum's bricks and sticks activity room offers free, creative play for the district's future artists. Photo / Nimmy Santhosh
A popular children’s activity looks set to become the first victim of Whangārei District Council’s push to make rates more affordable.
Parents are upset the council is actively trying to lease the Town Basin commercial space, currently used for free by Whangārei Art Museum for its free children’s “bricks and sticks” activity room.
The room next to the museum is used to help children get creative by building with foam bricks, timber planks and cinder blocks.
One mother, who asked not to be named, said the space supported problem solving, curiosity, creativity, sensory play, and social and emotional development for tamariki.
“It’s one of the few places in Whangārei that’s free for the community to access and not weather dependent – it’s indoors and air‑conditioned so we can rely on it year-round.”
The mother believed it was short-sighted of the council to consider leasing the space to a business.
“We desperately need more community and family spaces in Whangārei that offer meaningful, engaging activities for kids,” she said.
“In other cities like Hamilton or Palmerston North, there’s visible investment in family and community infrastructure – those councils recognise that these kinds of spaces make cities more liveable. Here, we’re missing that focus.”
The mother is backed by other parents, who said on social media the space is invaluable for their children and one of the best activities in the city.
Whangārei mother Lataire Murray said not everyone can afford to do paid activities every week, like Whangārei Aquatic Centre or indoor playground Flip.
“We need more free activities like this to keep our kids busy,” she said.
However, not everyone agreed the bricks and sticks room was the best use of the site, with some people saying such activities made rates unaffordable.
The 174sq m site is marketed by Bayleys as a prime hospitality or retail opportunity, thanks to its location in the bustling Town Basin.
The council is asking around $100,000 a year for the lease, which could be separated into two tenancies.
Whangārei Art Museum director Simon Bowerbank said the council kindly allowed the space to be used, for free, for the bricks and sticks room while it was vacant.
“We’re essentially squatting.”
The room was always available for lease, but the council is now actively marketing the vacancy, he said.
Bowerbank agreed the bricks and sticks were important for children’s development and creativity, calling it a gateway to art.
“Art is essentially play taken very seriously by adults. I consider activities like that to be the starting point of the process.”
Play spaces are an essential part of what the art museum offers, Bowerbank said.
“We want to provide art experiences from quite basic activities to serious contemporary art that is respected internationally.”
Whangārei District Council property manager John Burt said the council allowed temporary community use of the vacant space while seeking a tenant, so the area could be enjoyed rather than sitting empty.
But the council is now focused on reducing costs and increasing income from sources other than rates, to ease pressure on ratepayers, he said.
“Actively marketing the space is part of that approach.”
Burt said the council’s priority is to lease commercial spaces to support financial sustainability, but if another option was available to host the bricks and sticks room, a similar short-term arrangement could be considered.
Bowerbank said if a tenant was found for the space, Whangārei Art Museum would try to continue offering the bricks and sticks activity for the community.
“We do have other spaces that we could potentially put it in, but it would require rethinking. It’s uncertain at this stage.”
The activity not only needs supervision and a reasonable space, it requires cleaning and sorting, including regular deep-cleaning of all the bricks, he said.
If the bricks and sticks room cannot continue, the art museum will continue with its other free offerings, including a chalk drawing room and contemporary art exhibitions for all ages, Bowerbank said.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.