Coromandel Community Reuse Centre gets funding boost

A resource recovery centre, along with a retail sales shop, workshop and a training and storage facility has been approved following a land lease agreement between our Council and CILT (Coromandel Independent Living Trust).

At its last meeting our previous Council also supported a $50k loan, which will help to get the project off the ground. CILT has also received a grant of $36k from the Waste Levy Reserve.

The new reuse and recycling centre at the Hauraki Rd transfer station in Coromandel Town brings opportunity to the community and is set to open in the New Year.

The centre will offer a shop where people can purchase items, along with a repair workshop where discarded items can be mended or re-purposed before going on sale in the shop.

Guy Macindoe is the project manager for the Coromandel Community Reuse Centre, initiated by CILT. He says the vision to establish a reuse facility at the Hauraki Rd transfer station has been in the planning phase for nearly four years.

"This is similar initiative to what’s being done at the Seagull Centre in Thames to reduce waste to landfill. The added bonus is its creating employment for Coromandel town community," says Mr Macindoe.

The centre is aimed at helping reduce the volume of waste that ends up in the landfill. The facility’s on-site workshop offers an opportunity for local youth to do work skills training, learning from others’ expertise. It will also create volunteering and paid employment opportunities, giving people the chance to make a positive contribution to the community.

There will be many ways to help at the centre, from salvaging materials to operating the shop, and providing work skills training for youth.

Coromandel Town has long prided itself on being a sustainability savvy community, and the new facility makes reuse not only possible, but accessible and enjoyable too. The arts community of Coromandel will benefit from the centre, as treasures big and small can be sourced and purchased by innovative re-users for creative projects.

The new centre will make it easy for people to practice sustainability and keep the household budgets down. From families requiring low-cost items to ensure they are warm in winter, to DIYers looking to make sustainable reuse part of their plans, the new centre offers something for everyone.

A combined sales shop and workshop space will be completed by the end of the year and an official opening is planned for the New Year.

Support is thanks to the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund, our Council and the Coromandel-Colville Community Board, Trust Waikato, Smart Environmental, the Seagull Centre Trust, and Totalspan (Thames).

Can you help?

Do you have time or items to donate to a useful cause?

CILT are looking for materials and handyman skills to help fit out the shop and workshop. Shelving, display cabinets, work benches and a shop counter, as well as usable items to stock the shop and plants for landscaping are needed. Donations of money to help with the final setup are also appreciated.

Call CILT on 866 8358 or contact Guy Macindoe, the project manager at guy@sustainz.pl.net

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