Future uncertain as Ucol tells tenants to leave Whanganui innovation hub The Backhouse

The Backhouse Trust has had a lease agreement with Ucol since 2022. Photo / NZME

Tenants at Whanganui innovation hub The Backhouse may be staying put, despite the building’s owner telling them to pack up and leave within days.

In an email to some occupants on June 24, Universal College of Learning (Ucol) operations lead Jasmine Groves said Ucol was taking possession of the building at 5pm on Monday, June 30, and it must be vacated by that time.

To ensure the handover process ran smoothly, all chattels, signage and other tenant property had to be removed, “and make good any damage”, the email said.

Ucol owns the building, but has had a lease agreement with The Backhouse Trust since 2022.

The trust is made up of representatives from Ucol, economic development agency Whanganui & Partners (W&P) and the community.

Tenants at The Backhouse include Thrive Whanganui, the Whanganui District Education Training Trust (WDETT), Te Manu Atatū - Whanganui Māori Business Network, Te Kaahui o Rauru, Surge Consulting, and Lamp Studios.

When asked by the Chronicle why Ucol was repossessing the building and what was planned for it, a spokesperson said it was “unable to provide further comment at this time as this is a commercial matter”.

“We are keeping building occupants informed.”

Funding for The Backhouse initiative, from Te Pūkenga (Ucol’s parent organisation) and W&P, finished at the end of June 2023, with chief executive Rodd Eddy being made redundant.

Te Pūkenga was established in April 2020, merging 25 polytechnics and industry training organisations into one national network.

The Government announced in November 2023 that it would be disestablished.

Te Pūkenga did not respond to questions about The Backhouse.

A June 25 letter to tenants from Backhouse chairwoman Katarina Hina said there was no requirement for them to move out, and Groves’ email “was not appropriate”.

Hina said there had been significant difficulty in reaching an agreement with Ucol for a lease through to 2028.

“The trust has today [June 25] been assured that negotiations are under way between Ucol and Tupoho [Trust] for Tupoho to take over the building lease.”

Tupoho intended the building to continue as a community facility, she said.

“The negotiations may take a few more weeks, but please be reassured that your tenancy is safe, your assets, your office furniture and electronic equipment are also safe.”

Ken Mair says Tupoho has received calls "from concerned tenants". Photo / NZME

Tupoho Trust chairman Ken Mair confirmed to the Chronicle that opportunities were being explored, including the lease of the complex.

“We’ve always had aspirations, in particular around the land.

“This has been articulated previously, that we would expect the land to be returned to us at some stage.

“We clearly have a stake in the process, and we are about to have discussions with Ucol.”

Mair said he had received calls from concerned tenants, “who clearly have received eviction notices”.

“What is most disturbing is that no one from Ucol has spoken to us directly.

“In fact, we requested yesterday to have a face-to-face discussion with them, and they refused to do that.

“That is extremely concerning and disrespectful from our point of view.”

Whanganui district councillor Michael Law, a tenant in The Backhouse since 2022, said the building had been empty for years before the initiative began.

There were 15 organisations in the building, and about 100 people.

“We’ve got Ucol people in Palmerston North who don’t understand that this is a community-benefit building, a charitable trust, that brings people together and showcases what we can do.

“I spend 20 hours a week doing free consulting for people, and that’s just me.

“There are a whole bunch of people in there, from Thrive to WDETT to Ngaa Rauru. Everyone does it for free, because it’s for the betterment of Whanganui.”

Law, who holds the council’s future industries portfolio, said Ucol staff in Whanganui were amazing, but “the leadership in Palmy only thinks about Palmy”.

“I’m done with them.”

Michael Law says there are 15 organisations and about 100 people in the building. Photo / NZME

Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said he had received no correspondence from Ucol about its decision to clear out tenants.

“I would have thought a phone call to myself would have been appropriate,” he said.

“Ever since Ucol existed, it has been very Palmerston North-centric.

“I think they are focused on the dollars at the moment, rather than people - our community.”

The Chronicle reported in April that Ucol was proposing cuts to staff and courses in a bid to save $7.1 million and be financially viable as a standalone institution after the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga.

Tripe said the council was working on a replacement for Ucol/Te Pūkenga, currently called the Whanganui School of Design & Technology, and he received a letter of encouragement from Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds this week.

“This new entity would have local control and governance,” he said.

“We would utilise the campus, and Ucol could be one of the academic providers, but they would not lead this particular model.

“Whanganui has become a virtual operation from Palmerston North, and that doesn’t work for us.”

The Backhouse building was officially opened by Ucol in 2008 as the Henry D Bennett Centre.

Mair said Bennett had been a senior kaumātua and leader within Whanganui iwi and hapū.

“He would find it intolerable, in regard to how we’ve been treated.

“The majority of tenants in there are from our local iwi as well.

“We are trying our best to get on top of this and support them, after the rather callous way Ucol has dealt with this.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.