Plunket building plans
ROTORUA organisations are set to receive $7.5million - mainly for building new facilities - as the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust dishes out its biggest round of grants in eight years.
The trust has announced 13 organisations in the Rotorua district will receive a share of the money, with grants ranging from $250,000 to $1.5million, for building projects.
The biggest winner is a proposed performing arts centre, which has been allocated $1.5million.
Overall elderly facilities received the biggest proportion of funding, securing $1.75million, with health facilities receiving $1.5million worth of funding.
Trust chairman Grahame Hall said the grants were a result of the trust's major capital project funding announcement earlier this year.
"We are pleased to reveal that $7.5million has been conditionally granted to 13 organisations whose capital projects bring a significant benefit to the wider community."
Mr Hall said the grants ranged from $250,000 to $1.5million, were spread across a wide array or sectors, and would primarily contribute towards building and facility development.
The selected projects were chosen from 31 expressions of interests, who sought grants worth $52million
"Given this significant volume of applications, which exceeds anything we've had in the past for major capital funding, trustees have been careful to prioritise the projects that we believe will provide maximum benefit to the Rotorua district community."
Mr Hall said exactly how the funding for a proposed performing arts centre would be spent hadn't yet been decided.
He said the Rotorua Lakes Council was preparing a business case on a proposal to turn the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre into a theatre facility, while the Rotorua Little Theatre and Rotorua Musical Theatre were also working on a business case for a proposed shared facility.
Both would be presenting to the trust early next year, when it would decide where the funding should go, he said.
The Order of St John will receive $750,000 towards a major rebuild of the St John Ambulance Station complex in Pererika St.
Rotorua Area Committee treasurer Todd Mountfort said the impending rebuild would result in a modern and purpose-built facility that would help St John be more operationally effective in the Rotorua community.
"We are incredibly grateful to the trust for this major boost to our fundraising requirements. We look forward to further support from the community in the short term to get the rebuild under way as soon as possible."
Rotorua District Riding for the Disabled trustee Jo-Anne La Grouw said its $500,000 funding boost meant it now had all the money needed to build its new $1.1million Olympic-sized covered equestrian arena.
The new indoor facility would allow it to operate year round.
Construction on the 6.8ha site in Ngongotaha was expected to start in February and be completed within about six months.
"It's wonderful news. It will definitely bring it all to fruition much quicker."
Rotorua Plunket community funding co-ordinator Angie Brierley said the $250,000 it received was a fantastic start towards its new centre which would include a day-stay option for new parents.
"It's amazing and very uplifting for everyone who has been involved," she said.
Plans for the new centre, which would see services offered expanded, are about to go for resource consent with work expected to start next year.
Since its inception 20 years ago the trust has granted $92.8million to organisations within the Rotorua district.
WHAT'S GETTING MONEY
- Partial funding has been granted towards the development of a performing arts centre: $1.5 million
- Lakes District Health Board, partial funding towards Rotorua Children's Health Centre: $750,000
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital Community Trust, partial funding towards the establishment of a new facility: $750,000
- Rotorua Community Hospice Trust, partial funding towards the development of a new facility: $750,000
- The Order of St John, partial funding towards a new building due to growth: $750,000
- Whare Aroha, partial funding towards a new aged care facility: $750,000
- Rotorua BMX Club, partial funding towards the establishment of a new BMX facility: $500,000
- Rotorua Riding for the Disabled, partial funding towards building an all-weather arena: $500,000
- Lake Okareka Volunteer Rural Fire Force, partial funding towards building a new fire station: $250,000
- Mid Island Gym sports Inc, partial funding towards building extensions and equipment purchase: $250,000
- Older Persons Community Centre Trust, partial funding towards the expansion of its current facility: $250,000
- Progress Ngongotaha-Kokiri Ngongotaha Inc, partial funding towards a Community Centre for Ngongotaha: $250,000
- RNZ Plunket Society Lakes Area Inc, partial funding towards building a new building: $250,000
-See the Rotorua Daily Post over the coming weeks for more on these projects.