bluff_board_news_-_july_2005

							      A
                     uff Board News
           n e w s l e t t e r     from        the      Bluff       C o m m u n i t y        Board           -   July        2005



                Kiwibank is coming to town
KIWIBANK is to open a branch in Bluff and full banking              produces rental income of only $2,000.
services will be available early in the New Year, according to      However, the Bluff Community Charitable
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt and New Zealand Post Chief          Trust will not be subject to the same
Executive Officer J ohn All en.                                     overheads as the Council and can access
                                                                    fund ing that Council cannot.


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Mr Shadbolt said that after extensive negotiations the
Invercargill City Council had approved the deal which will          By transferring ownership to the Charitable
finally bring a bank and a full Post Shop back to Bluff.            Trust, Bluff will not only gain a bank and Post
                                                                    Shop but the people of Bluff will also gain
New Zealand Post Chief Executive John Allen said "we are            control over their own Town Hall.
delighted to be able to provide Post Shop and banking
services to Bluff and look forward to a strong relationship         "The Bluff Community Charitable Trust will lease out the old
going forward".                                                     Service Centre offices and look to better promote use of the
                                                                    Town Hall. Most importantly the Trust will ensure that the Hall
Bluff Community Board Chairman Rex Powley welcomed the              is retained for the benefit of the community.
move and said the announcement of a bank and Post Shop
opening in the community was "fantastic news for Bluff'.            "This is fantastic news and will provide a one-stop-shop that
                                                                    will benefit both Bluff residents and our tourism industry. At a
Mr Powley said that the Bluff Community Board had been              time when many small communities have lost all banking and
involved in the negotiations and had unanimously supported          postal facilities, Bluff is poised to regain these crucial
the decision.                                                       community services," Mr Powley said.

The Council's Bluff Service Centre will be moved and
upgraded to include a Kiwibank, Post Shop, Information
                                                                      Town Hall stays in Bluffs hands
Centre, Library and Lotto outlet, he said.                          The Bluff Community Charitable Trust has bought the
                                                                    Bluff Town Hall and Service Centre Complex from the
"The Service Centre will be relocated to the former                 Invercargill City Council for the sum of $1.00, Trust
Westpac/Trustbank building at 94-98 Gore Street, which has          Chairman Rex Powley has confirmed.
been purchased by the Invercargill City Council.
                                                                    Mr Powley said the Trust will lease the total complex for
"Council explored a number of options for the siting of the         twelve months to Southern Aqua Adventures, which will
combined Service Centre complex. The new site won out               take over the role of handling all bookings for the Kali.
because of its more central location, building suitability and at   Existing bookings will be honoured and the Hall will be
a total cost of $697,655 it was considerably cheaper than the       available forf unctions and events as in the past, he said.
$800,000 it would have taken to upgrade the existing Service        The Bluff Community Charitable Trust was established in
Centre Building.                                                    1996 by the Bluff Community Board as a vehicle to source
                                                                    funding and undertake major projects in thetown.
"The upgrade of the new building will take some months, as
redesign and building work takes place to install the Kiwibank,     The first project was the new viewing platform on Bluff
Post Shop, Lotto and Service Centre facilities.                     Hill which cost in the vicinity of $250,000. The Skateboard
                                                                    Park, new chairs for the Town Hall, funding to assist with
In August, the Bluff Service Centre will make an interim move       work on the Events Centre, and the Bluff town upgrade
into the Lotto and Postal Agency building. This will allow the      are just some of the other issues handled by the Trust to
business that is currently in the proposed Service Centre           date.
building at 94-98 Gore Street to move into the old Service
Centre building, so the new building can be renovated.              It was important that with the new change of venue for the
                                                                    Service Centre and other services that the Town Hall was
"The other part of the package is that the Invercargill City        retained in community control, Mr Powley said.
Council will transfer ownership of the old Service Centre and
Bluff Town Hall complex to the Bluff Community Charitable           • Kiwibank began operations in March 2002 and now has more than
Trustfor$1.00.                                                      300 branches and more than 350,000 customers. It operates in more
                                                                    than 30 towns and city suburbs where there is no other bank. The
The Town Hall currently costs ratepayers $43,300 a year and         bank is expected to announce its first full year's profit in September.