The Rotorua Education Initiative group, which is expected to be set up in July, will discuss issues and how they can be addressed and will then be able to put their proposed solutions to a government official who will allocate funding on a case-by-case basis.
Presumably there is no bottomless funding pit, which means some proposals will be turned down for funding - and that means the community as a whole will have to come to the party, pitch in and do its bit when required. If we want to see change for the better resulting from this initiative, we will have to be prepared to help out from time to time, to ensure solutions that are developed to address identified problems but which fail to secure government funding don't fail for want of community support.
On paper this initiative looks like a solid idea and it would be naive to expect the Government to fund everything.
Government never has and never will be able to do and fund everything, that's why voluntary, community organisations were established, some of which provide what one could argue are essential services.
What this education initiative should do is promote meaningful collaboration around common issues and provide a wider perspective on issues which may be unique to certain areas or groups within our community.
Instead of working in isolation to try and deal with issues, schools and groups will be able to share ideas and collectively come up with answers. It should lead to some creative solutions and if success is the result, could be empowering for the community. That is, I guess, the hope.
Funding, particularly long-term funding, has become increasingly hard for non-profit organisations to get which has created a competitive environment and that's not the spirit in which they were established or operate.
There is now a push and move towards partnerships and collaboration which should bring together organisations providing similar or overlapping services or catering to the same section of the local population.
With less money available, it has to be spent wisely and it makes sense for local schools and community organisations to join forces and share ideas to develop solutions tailored to specific needs.
According to Mr McClay the initiative is a direct response to frustration expressed by local community members who want better ways to take action when problems are identified.
We could take the cynical view and think the Government is just passing the buck - or we could look at it as a challenge and as an opportunity to really make a difference.
Sometimes getting things done isn't all about funding anyway - sometimes what's needed is creative thinking and engagement by the community.
-Ingrid Tiriana is a freelance writer based in Rotorua
