Trust drops plans to build mental health village

A Northland trust has dropped plans to build a controversial community village for people with mental health problems.

Northcare Trust chairwoman Sheila House confirmed the trust has withdrawn its resource consent application for the village proposed for Tikipunga, Whangarei.

However, she declined to say why the decision was made or discuss the departure of trust general manager Ron Baker.

"Mr Baker has left our employment, that's all I want to say at the moment."

Mr Baker, who was the public face of the proposal, was understood to have left in late February and could not be contacted for comment.

The village plan prompted an outcry from many Tikipunga residents when the trust lodged its resource consent application with Whangarei District Council last October.

Their biggest criticism was that the proposal, described as a "community care village" consisting of 13 rental units, 15 elderly units, five medium-care units, and "therapy buildings", gave little indication that it would house mentally ill people.

At the time, Mr Baker said mental health care in the village was only a part of the proposal.

Mrs House said the adverse community reaction had been a factor in the board's unanimous decision to pull out of the proposal, but it was not "the driving force".

"It's been on the cards for a while," she said, adding that it would have been "a major headache" if they had gone ahead with the village.

She said the trust would make a statement on the matter next week.

Northcare Trust's acting manager Murray Broadbelt said that there were no plans to consider other sites because the board wanted to completely withdraw from the "large facility concept".

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)