Partnership with Wellington on table

NEXT STEP: Wairarapa SPCA could be partnered with Wellington. PHOTO/FILE

The fate of Wairarapa SPCA is still unknown but the national office is considering a partnership with Wellington SPCA.

A meeting was called between the national office and Wairarapa SPCA members on September 20 to discuss the closed centre's future.

Alan Wilson, the SPCA national manager inspectorate and centre support, facilitated the meeting, which had a turnout of about 40 members.

SPCA Wairarapa administrator Matt Franklin and Wellington SPCA chief executive Steve Glassey also attended.

The meeting was to update the members "on some of the key concerns and look at moving forward", Mr Wilson said.

"Firstly we wanted to make sure everyone understood the assets - the centre and the land - are secure for the branch.

"There is no chance national office will be taking any of the assets."

He said it was important to put to bed the "myth out there that that's what the national office does - which is not the case".

Mr Wilson said members had responded positively to the idea of forming a partnership with Wellington SPCA, which could reintroduce animal welfare services to Wairarapa.

"They [members] passed a resolution giving the national office a mandate to explore options with Wellington SPCA and then come back to them."

No decisions at the meeting had been made other than the mandate to look at a partnership with Wellington, which would be done only with the consent of the members.

"This is about getting quicker reinstatement of services. Wellington has inspectors, funding and infrastructure - they can assist."

He said although progress made by the community was "good", it was still considered slow progress.

The rate that money was being raised for the Wairarapa SPCA branch would not be sufficient for long-term security and fundraising would need to stay consistent, Mr Wilson said.

"If we sit and do nothing more than what we are doing now it's going to result in closure.

"Sitting and doing nothing will only mean the status quo or worse," he said.

"The community will still need to get behind it to make it work."

He said the centre would not be reopening in the immediate future because of its running costs - getting an animal welfare inspector back into the region would be the organisation's first priority.

"The fact is, to get the centre back up and running will be slow," Mr Wilson said.

The SPCA Wairarapa website has been "suspended" due to lack of funds.

"We're looking at reinvigorating it as it's a useful source of information to the community."

Mr Wilson couldn't put a date on when the website would be back up and running.

He said he didn't want to "over promise and under deliver".

"At least there is some hope on the way forward," he said.