Facility partnership would save Mt Eden church

Auckland City councillors today agreed to continue discussion with the Mt Eden Methodist Church to determine if a facility partnership arrangement can be entered into with council, which would see the historic Mt Eden church retained on its current site.

The facilities partnership programme provides opportunities for council to partner with other organisations to provide community facilities.

Officers are to report to the Recreation and Events Committee with details on the terms, conditions and all other relevant factors regarding the proposal.

“An opportunity now exists to look at retaining the church, and also connecting the building to the adjacent Sunday school, “ says Auckland City Councillor Greg McKeown. “This initiative and discussion with the Methodist Church recognises the church’s capacity to partner with council to benefit the community.

“If the project were to proceed substantial configuration of the church and Sunday school interiors would be involved to meet the current and future needs of the church and agreed community use,” says Mr McKeown. Today the council also confirmed a $500,000 increase into the council’s Facilities Partnership Programme budget, which had been out for public consultation as part of the Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP).

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>