Youth places and spaces development

Youth page image

The council's Youth Committee has worked actively to understand the needs of Whanganui rangatahi. It has advocated strongly for improvements to youth-focused events and facilities in particular.

This mirrors feedback from conversations with our community while we were developing the Long-Term Plan 2021-2031. People of all ages have told us that there should be more for our young people to do and that support for mental health and personal development — specifically connected to employment — should be a focus.

This aligns with the Youth Committee’s vision for the establishment of a ‘youth hub’. As a result, a collaborative group of local stakeholders (including representatives from the youth sector, Ngā Tai o te Awa, Sport Whanganui, Ministry of Social Development, the Youth Committee and the council) has been established to assess the needs for youth ‘places and spaces’ in our district.

Detailed information on options for youth places and spaces can be found in the consultation document(PDF, 14MB).

Summary of options and costs

Option 1

Develop youth places and spaces (preferred option)

Cost

Impact on rates

Impact on debt

Impact of levels of service

Operating costs of $10,000 in year 1 and then $46,000 per year on average thereafter.

Capital cost of $386,000 in year 2.

Rates increase of $79,000 on average per year from year 2 onwards.

Per property on average:

  • Residential +$4.20
  • Farming +$4.50
  • Commercial +$6.20

Debt would increase by $386,000 in year 2 and be repaid over 15 years.

Potential to make a significant impact on the level of service provided for the youth within the community. This would shift from an event based activity to ongoing support, facilitation and advocacy.

Option 2

Do nothing - no additional youth provision

Cost

Impact on rates

Impact on debt

Impact of levels of service

No change.

No change.

No change.

No change in current service delivery.

Preferred option

Our preferred option is Option 1. We know from the discussions and the development of He Irere — a plan for the wellbeing of rangatahi Māori — that there is a need for a coordinated response to improve outcomes for youth.

Related Information

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