New management confirmed for Wairoa Community Centre
CLM to commence management of the centre from July 1 + MAHI TOI: Spirituality a huge influence for former meatworker turned artist Pete Amato
Issue 16: Friday, May 2, 2025
A NATIONAL leisure management company with decades of experience in facility management services has been appointed to take over the running of the Wairoa Community Centre from July 1.
The Wairoa District Council confirmed the appointment of Community Leisure Management (CLM) in a media statement earlier this week.
“This national company can draw on its network, which currently includes looking after more than 30 facilities ranging from large regional indoor aquatic centres to smaller rural community pools and recreation and fitness centres.” - Wairoa Mayor Craig Little
It follows the announcement last year that Sport Hawke’s Bay was keen to step away from managing the centre when there contract expires next month. Sport Hawke’s Bay has been managing the centre - which includes a swimming pool complex, fitness centre, gymnasium and function rooms - for the past 13 years. The organisation has indicated they want to focus more on other services they provide in the community.
As a result, the council, which owns the facility, called for expressions of interest from partners who could effectively operate and maintain the facility, improve service delivery, enhance community engagement, and ensure long-term sustainability.
The contract has now been awarded to Community Leisure Management (CLM), a New Zealand company that has nearly 30 years of facility management experience with a proven track record in the recreation and swimming pool industry across numerous sites around the country.
CLM has stated it always aims to recruit locally, and would offer any existing community centre staff the opportunity to apply for roles in the first instance.
Core services CLM will be working to introduce SwimMagic Swim School, Fitness by CLM, and Chill Out childcare programme, along with Splash Time Tots and Toddler water programme, Legends programmes for those 50+, Aqua Aerobics and Wave Raves for 8-14-year-olds.
Sport Hawke’s Bay CEO Ryan Hambleton says it was a great outcome for the community to have CLM awarded the contract to manage the centre.
“We look forward to continuing to work alongside the community centre to support our communities to be more active, more often.
“We look forward to partnering with them to ensure community centre members and users have a seamless transition,” Hambleton says.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little says it is reassuring to have a company with CLM's expertise, experience, scope and ability.
“This national company can draw on its network, which currently includes looking after more than 30 facilities ranging from large regional indoor aquatic centres to smaller rural community pools and recreation and fitness centres.
“In appointing CLM, we expect its national experience will bring broader outcomes for our community, including improvements, such as the gym being open 24/7 for member access,” Little says.
“A key focus is maintaining the current service levels and looking at growth opportunities that could allow the community centre to grow as an essential community hub. This is an exciting time to work with new partners, build relationships and maximise opportunities.”
In its company profile, CLM states, “Our approach has always been to operate facilities to an outstanding level of compliance with standards, statutes and regulations. At the same time, we aim to be creative and innovative in finding new ways for local people to participate in activities at local facilities significantly enhancing the return on each local community’s investment in their venues and facilities”.
CLM has a large team of experienced support personnel who will be involved in delivering efficient and successful facility management operations of the Wairoa Community Centre. All support staff are specialists in their areas, such as finance, fitness, swim school, aquatics, community programmes, marketing and have a passion for helping deliver all services to a high standard by empowering local teams, providing strong leadership and with support from the highly experienced CLM Support Office.
MAHI TOI: Spirituality a huge influence for former meatworker turned artist Pete Amato
SPIRITIALITY and bold bright colours are a huge feature of Wairoa artist Pete Amato’s paintings.
Earlier this week he spoke about his art journey and influences at the Wairoa Art Society. Amato was one of the first art exhibitions at the newly renovated Locke St gallery which reopened just over a month ago.
Art has been a part of Amato’s life for many years but when he first moved to Wairoa in the mid-90s there was not much call or work for an artist so he signed up to Affco as a meat worker, and in his time there was also a meatworkers union representative.
Working at Affco was a job not a passion for him and he was always keen to get back to painting. A brush with death after he contracted leptospirosis nearly five years ago provided the catalyst for change he was craving.
“I thought, when I die are people going to talk about Peter the awesome meatworker or Peter the artist,” Amato says.
He chose artist.
Painting was also a way to help deal with stress from getting locked out of Affco, he says.
Amato says seeing signs and spiritual visions is something common in his family and he also has this spiritual gift which he translates to his paintings.
“Spirituality is a big thing. I don’t think about what I’m going to paint, but am I allowed to paint them?”
He then asks with a karakia and awaits the response before proceeding. For his painting of Māhuika, which is pictured above, he felt that she had been given an injustice and he wanted to paint that out.
“She was a nanny who gave her grandson fire to keep warm and he wasn’t grateful to her.”
Another painting he calls a “family portrait” of Papatūānuku, Ranginui and their children. It also features a nod to a oral history link between the whales and kauri tree - this link has been further explored by some researchers looking into a method of treating kauri die back with whale oil.
Amato’s exhibition has its last day tomorrow. The Wairoa Arts Society gallery is located on Locke St.
PUBLIC MEETING: The State of the NZ Health System - TONIGHT 7pm: Wairoa War Memorial Hall, Queen St. Hosted by Patient Voice Aotearoa chairperson Malcolm Mulholland and featuring patients, doctors, nurses, and specialists about the state of the health system in your community and nationally.
FREE SCREENING: The Doctors Wife film - Tuesday, May 6, 5.30pm: Wairoa Museum. Wairoa Museum proudly invites you to a free screening of “The Doctor’s Wife” directed and produced by Paula Whetu Jones and Tamara Azizian. Paula will be attending this screening of her documentary which recently premiered at the Māorilands Film Festival.
A Q&A kōrero will follow the screening. The film tells the story of Dr Alan Kerr, a NZ heart surgeon who volunteered over the last 20 years to operate on children with heart disease in Gaza, and his wife Hazel, who brought a different kind of healing to the people she met in Palestine. To secure your free ticket please email admin@wairoamuseum.org.nz as there is limited seating.
Ngāti Kahungunu Marae Wero: Iron Māori - Sunday, May 25: Mitre 10 park, Hastings, Hawke’s Bay. Register at IRONMĀORI.CO.NZ
Frasertown Pig Hunting competition - Sunday, June 1: Frasertown Hunting Club at Kiwi Transport Yard, State Highway 38, opposite the dairy. Get in touch with Frasertown Hunting Club before May 29, 5pm, to register.
Matariki Glow Show - Monday, June 23: 10am and 11.30am sessions and Tuesday, June 24 - 10am and 11.30am sessions at The Gaiety Theatre. Tickets can be purchased from Wairoa i-Site and the Gaiety Theatre. General entry is $10, children 3 years and under are $5, babies under 18months FREE with a paying adult (sit on lap).