Some of the Te Kainganui community. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
Wellington parents from a small co-op run daycare are frustrated with the lack of information from the council on the future of the building.
Wellington City Council is the landlord of Te Kainganui, which can look after 24 children and has been running since the 1970's in the suburb of Mount Cook.
The council teamed up with staff to help with kitchen renovations during the school holidays but found the building was a health and safety risk.
A new temporary replacement building has been found in Miramar which is expected to open next week for the daycare.
But many of the parents, including Igor Dupor, want the original space fixed because of its location and its place in the community.
"It's pretty difficult, we all know that there's limited spaces and lots of competition for children in all the local centres. We may have to traverse outside of town to find the nearest available space," Dupor said.
Veronica and Igor with their two year old daughter Zola. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
The closure meant he and his partner Veronica have had to stop work for the week and he said both the community and its teachers were struggling.
"The kids love it here and it does mean a lot for us to be able to work and engage with the rest of our community and for our children to engage and socialise with each other. They're missing out on a pretty important place," Dupor said.
He was calling on the council to take better care of the property.
"They actually commit to proper asset management not just in water infrastructure but their broader portfolio of assets that they've just let run into the ground for the last 30- 40 years."
His partner, Veronica Stevenson agreed and said she was appalled after she found out the daycare was not compliant with the council's regulations despite the it being the landlord.
"This is an old historic building, these are native hardwood timbers. The idea they've been left to rot into the ground both the frame and the foundations is decades and decades of neglect," Stevenson said.
Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
Despite irritation from parents, Te Kainganui chair Megan McMullan said the Ministry of Education has been helpful.
"We needed to get a new license to operate in temporary premises so they've been really supportive, the council have also been working with us so far but we're really keen to get that interim report as a first step," McMullan said.
She said future of the building was uncertain until they received a report.
Te Kainganui teacher Harriet Myles. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
Te Kainganui teacher Harriet Myles said it was disappointing for the centre to find out the extent of the damage and all of a sudden not be able to use the space.
"To have it taken away suddenly puts us all in a sense of uncertainty, not sure what will happen with our jobs and our future and just feeling like we've let the community down in a way as well because we're not able to provide what we hope to provide," Myles said.
In a statement Wellington City Council said the building was deemed not safe to occupy due to structural damage following a building inspection on 29 September.
"Council's priority is ensuring children attending ECEs operating in council-owned buildings are in a safe environment.
"Since the closure council staff have been supporting Te Kainganui to identify an alternative temporary location for six months (at this stage), which they have done."
