Okato community centre plan takes off

Okato could soon be celebrating a new community centre, playground and skate park if a "visionary" plan proposed by the village goes ahead.

A forward-thinking residents' group, called Vision Okato, is eyeing up the town's old primary school for a new development and has already set about cleaning up the derelict buildings.

Group leader Mel Abbott said the top priority was to find somewhere for teenagers to hang out, as well as providing a space the community could use.

"The teenagers in Okato have nothing to do – and they can't drive – so this would hopefully be a centre with pool tables and that sort of thing for them," Ms Abbott said. "Since we had our carnival at the school two weeks ago, we haven't had any vandalism at the school. I think it's because we've talked to the teenagers and they're excited about being included."

During the carnival, members of the Vision Okato group had carried out an informal survey and discovered people were also interested in using the centre as a place for markets, workshops and early childhood activities.

Fellow member Teresa Goodin said so far they'd had a positive response from the community about their plans. "I feel like we've got it at the point where we've got enough people to get serious about it," she said.

The next step would be a meeting on April 21 to decide exactly what was needed and how to fund it.

Vision Okato was prepared to do a lot of fundraising to achieve its goals, she said.

Fortunately for the group, its plans have coincided with a decision by the school's owner, the Ministry of Education, to offer the land for sale to the New Plymouth District Council.

And, before it was even aware of Vision Okato's plans, the council had made preliminary plans to buy the land and build a playground and skate park itself.

Okato was the only township of its size within the New Plymouth District that did not have a community playground and skate park on council-owned land.

At a policy committee meeting this week, where Vision Okato spoke, councillors recommended the council follows through with the plans, including buying some of the buildings. It will now go to the full council on April 20.

- © Fairfax NZ News