Friday 1 March 2013

Options for delivery of youth development programmes to be explored

Clutha District Council will explore the option of making agreements with, and providing funding to, suitable organisations in the community to continue delivery of its youth development programmes.

Chief Executive Charles Hakkaart said that previously these services were delivered by Enterprise Clutha who employed Youth Development Coordinator Daniel Maze.

Enterprise Clutha received $42,000 in council funding a year to deliver these services, with the remaining $40,000 provided by charitable organisations and central government.

Mr Hakkaart said that as part of last year’s restructuring of how District Development services would be provided in the district, it was proposed that Council would take over the employment of a Youth Development Coordinator who would continue to deliver the youth programmes.

Unfortunately Mr Maze had since resigned from the position to take up new employment. This meant that Council had to decide if it was best placed to employ a new coordinator and provide the training, mentoring and support for a new person in that role.

Mr Hakkaart said it was also likely that Council would have to increase its current contribution to the Youth Coordinator position from $42,000 to $62,000 due to the expectation that alternative funding sources would continue to decline.

After a lengthy debate at yesterday’s meeting, Council decided it would explore the option of making agreements with, and providing funding of up to $25,000 a year, to suitable organisations in the community to deliver youth programmes.

Mr Hakkaart said the general consensus amongst councillors was that while the youth development programmes had undoubtedly been hugely successful, they were not necessarily a core function of local government and there was concern at the increasing costs involved for ratepayers.

Most councillors felt it was unfair for central government to expect local authorities to keep picking up the tab for non-core services, while at the same time providing less assistance in core areas such as roading.

“Council is still committed to providing youth development programmes in the district. However, it is also mindful of the fact that Council itself is not best placed to deliver these programmes in the most effective and efficient way,” Mr Hakkaart said.

ENDS

For further information/comment, please contact:

Charles Hakkaart

Chief Executive

Phone: 03 419 0200