Editorial: Sallies' move for the best

Would the last one to leave please turn out the lights? In the case of Community House the last one to leave will be the Salvation Army community ministries office and its foodbank.

There was, and may still be, much sadness and anger among locals that the community and voluntary groups that have called the Haupapa St building home have been forced to find new premises with the Rotorua Lakes Council's decision to demolish it.

The council says the decision to knock it down - making way for an expanded green space - was made due to the costs involved in the major repairs and improvements the building needed.

It simply wasn't worth fixing, from an economic point of view. The council is subsidising rent for the Sallies and other affected groups and has not just turned its back and thrown the tenants onto the streets.

For the Sallies at least, the move looks like it could work out for the best. What could have been a devastating setback has been turned into an opportunity.

To hear the new premises will allow the church to expand the programmes it offers and help more local people, is fantastic.

The Rotorua Daily Post has had a long association with the Sallies through our annual Christmas Appeal in aid of the foodbank.

Most of our reporters and photographers have been to the space where food was kept for those in need - the shelves alternating between full to the brim and worryingly bare.

With the move just weeks away, it's an exciting time for the organisation and we wish them well.

We can't wait to visit the new and improved foodbank this Christmas to see it bursting at the seams.