Reefton’s new service hub all set to open
Plans to merge the Reefton Visitor Centre and Buller District Council’s Reefton Service Centre are about to be put into action.
Council’s group manager community services Krissy Trigg says: “It is exciting to see this major project coming together. There will be interruptions to some services this week and we ask that the Reefton community continue to be patient while the move is taking place.”
The Reefton Service Centre (RSC) will be closed from 1pm Thursday 17 November to Friday 18 November to move the RSC into its new home at 67-69 Broadway.
The Reefton Visitor Centre (RVC) will be closed Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 November to finalise the move.
Library services will be unavailable from 1pm Monday 14 November to Friday 18 November inclusive and the projection room will be temporarily closed.
The new combined one-stop-shop for Reefton’s residents and visitors will open its doors on Monday 21 November at 9am. All current services will be retained including NZTA/Waka Kotahi and NZ Post agencies.
The interim name for the merged facility will be the ‘Reefton Visitor and Service Centre’, with the tag line ‘Servicing the Inangahua community’.
Ms Trigg says: “This name captures the essence what the new one-stop shop is all about – providing service to residents and visitors alike.
We are still working on the permanent name which we will announce once consultation with iwi has taken place.”
The private post boxes will remain where they are on the corner of Broadway and Smith streets until new, refurbished ones are sent to Reefton from NZ Post. Private post box holders will receive 30 days’ notice advising customers of the new location once the new boxes are ready to use.
Post and parcels can be sent from the new Reefton Visitor and Service Centre from Monday 21 November onwards.
A temporary library space which will be available from the opening date, will be set up at the rear of the new Reefton Visitor and Service Centre until the permanent new library room can be housed in the ex-BNZ office. Completion of this new library space will require some time due to the structural changes to the building that are required to make this area fit for purpose.
Ms Trigg says “There are some further improvements coming in the near future, such as a new car park with a disabled parking space, and new automatic doors.
We look forward to 21 November and inviting the community to make the most of Reefton’s new one-stop-shop. The Reefton Visitor and Service Centre staff have worked very hard to ensure this combined facility continues to be a valuable, continuous asset for Reefton”.
The opening hours will be 9am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Weekend opening hours for the facility are being confirmed. In the interim, the weekend hours will be primarily for offering advice and services for visitors.
The staff at the Reefton Visitor and Service Centre can be reached on 03 732 8391.
Background:
All council services currently provided at the RSC will be available at the new Reefton Visitor and Service Centre. This includes the Reefton Library, NZ Post, and Waka Kotahi/NZTA.
Visitors will continue to be able to access visitor information, make bookings, and obtain advice for their stay in Reefton at the new Reefton Visitor and Service Centre.
The Reefton Visitor Centre’s theatre and the exhibition area will remain part of the new service hub, but with a slightly changed layout. The ANZ ATM will stay at its current location in the RSC building.
The amalgamation of the two service centers was consulted on as part of council’s Draft 2021 – 2031 Long Term Plan to create a “one stop shop” for the Reefton community.
-ENDS-
For more information contact:
Acting Group Manager Community Services
Krissy Trigg