Planned childcare centre fights for green light

 

BY JULIA WADE

Mangawhai’s younger residents will soon have a brand new place to explore, play and discover while having a whole lot of fun now permission has been granted for another childcare facility to be established in Mangawhai, despite facing strong resistance from a surrounding community.

Miniwhai’s, an early childhood education centre designed to accommodate up to 50 children from babies to five-year-olds, is set to open in mid-2019. Located on a picturesque lakeside property in a Cove Road gated community, The Sanctuary, the long-awaited consent was finally passed by Kaipara District Council (KDC) on September 7. 

Meeting demand
Owner-operators Natasha Lee and husband John began the consent process for the centre in December 2016 after becoming aware of the long waiting lists for Mangawhai’s other two childcare facilities. A registered early childhood education teacher for ten years, Natasha says they are really excited about developing a new centre and fulfilling a need in the community.

“There is room for another facility, we wouldn’t set up if we thought we’d be upsetting other people’s business,” she says. “We’ll be offering services quite different too, giving families another choice which I feel is important.”

The couple have owned, operated and sold three other facilities over ten years – Small Poppies in Ruakaka and Kaiwaka, and Kaipara Kids Club in Maungaturoto. Natasha says the centres have all been different in physical layout as well as culturally, which develops from the community and the families who attend. 

“My feeling for Mangawhai is it’s quite an environmentally-friendly, artistic, rural community so the centre will be set up to reflect those things with a lot of nature school, art and an emphasis on outdoor learning.” 

Miniwhais’ fully fenced, outside play area ‘will be massive’, offering a smorgasbord of fun including a mud kitchen, bike track, castle turrets with slides, rope swings, wooden bridge, water area and construction pit. A smaller version for under two-year-olds based on texture and discovery, will be situated next door. 

Project opposition
However the process for the ambitious project has not been without controversy. The initial council process took more than a year to complete due to opposition from a number of individuals who reside within The Sanctuary, who had a list of objections including concerns about children playing too close to the water and disturbance to the tranquility. However Natasha says the Lot 1 site had existing commercial consent as part of the original subdivision which was clearly stated on Sanctuary covenants and titles. 

“It also includes an already existing permission for a cafe-restaurant, open seven days a week for up to 120 people. So they’re quite happy for loud music, people drinking, live bands and functions but anti children playing Monday to Friday,” she says. “They said they didn’t buy there to have 50 children at the gate and we would need a barbed wire fence and mesh across the outside area to keep the children from climbing out and running rampant! The main residents who have complained do not even live near the site which is located at the beginning of The Sanctuary.” 

Court action threat
Entrance to the centre is situated outside the gate, allowing easy access for families and minimising any disruption. Natasha says they have also held several meetings to keep residents informed throughout the process and address any concerns. 

“Our intention was always to have a high quality place in keeping with the Sanctuary… and to have a conducive, harmonious relationship with our neighbours… but they have done their upmost to stop us… even threatened the council with legal action if the centre went ahead,” she says. “Council have been as supportive as they can but with the threat of court action have been robust throughout the process and made us jump through hoops. As it was deemed no one would be adversely affected by the centre, the residents were not listed as affected parties so they should not have even been listened too, met with or consulted on the process but they were.”

‘Fun stuff’ starts
The cost for the years delay has hit the Lee’s both financially and emotionally with $60,000 of legal fees, thousands spent on reports and ‘a whole lot of pain and anguish’. However Natasha sees this as an insurance policy. 

“We have addressed every possible thing someone could be upset about, there is nothing we haven’t covered, so there’s no worry about threat of interruption to our business. I think it was better to address it at the outset anyway, now we can just get on with it.”

Through ‘sheer perseverance, hard work and determination’ the couple have prevailed and now all the ‘fun stuff’ can begin such as designing the playground and buying a mini to represent the centre.  

Once the ‘Miniwhai’ sign was hung on site the Mangawhai community ‘has been lovely’ with their support and enquiries have been steady. Natasha also says she has noticed a ‘change of the tide’ with some Sanctuary individuals who at first opposed the centre.  

“We are very happy about the change and hope that it continues as we’ve always wanted to be transparent and work with our neighbours,” she says. “Little people bring a lot of joy… where there is children, there is life.”  

 The Focus contacted the Sanctuary Residents Association Board (SRAB) to ask if any individuals or the Board itself would like to share their views. Chair Ron Lucca replied, saying although individual residents will have to be contacted directly for their opinion, SRAB represents and supports all of the owners within the Sanctuary. 

“We do not have a view on the childcare centre and have been working with the owners on their project, ” he says. “Our vision statement for the Sanctuary is ‘it is a tranquil lifestyle, gated community where all owners and residents share a common goal of effectively maintaining the entire estate to a high standard while respecting all others and the environment around them’.”

The Lot 1 site had existing commercial consent as part of the original subdivision which was clearly stated on Sanctuary covenants and titles.