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Help save the Karori Plunket Creche!

  • We did it!

      22 April 2018

    A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has helped us. We wholeheartedly appreciate all contributions - you helped pay for legal advice that ensured Plunket will now meet its legal obligation to consult with the Karori community.

    Things in Karori are about to change for the better, for all current and future Karori children.

    PROPER CONSULTATION has been at the heart of the issue from the very start. Informed decisions should be made based on input from the people affected by those decisions. It's simply showing respect for the community, the families and the children who need the creche.

    We don't think it's unreasonable to expect any organisation operating in our community to act with integrity - especially one like Plunket. After all it was the people of Karori who funded and built the Plunket buildings at 277 Karori Road starting in the 1940s. Our elders, our neighbours, our whanau, our community.

    Thanks to your awesome contribution and a lot of hard work, Plunket have confirmed the following for Karori:

    * Proper consultation will be done

    * A review of all their services including the crèche will occur

    * The property at 277 Karori Road will not be sold

    * An interim childcare services plan has been presented to existing parents

    * ECE demand and supply will be investigated

    Watch the One News story here - https://www.tvnz.co.nz/…/plunket-back-down-plans-shut-welli…

    Thanks very much for your support!

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  • Plunket makes U-turn

      17 April 2018

    Update 17 April 2018

    The legal advice we presented to Plunket a few weeks ago led to them making a U-turn on the closure of the creche and commence a proper consultation with the Karori community on all the services it offers locally.

    If you felt strongly about Plunket's actions then please help us get to $2,300 - the cost for the legal advice which made Plunket sit up and take notice.

    Plunket have finally put in writing that they will not sell the property, have put the creche closure on hold providing interim childcare for those without alternatives during term 2, and most importantly consult with the community (you) about the creche and the other services it offers.

    This is a huge win and shows the strength of what can be achieved when a community joins together!

    We (three local families) take full responsibility for incurring the legal costs and sincerely thank those who have already generously donated. Every little bit helps!

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  • Meeting with Plunket

      6 April 2018

    We met with Plunket about the closure of the crèche on Wednesday night. Plunket were initially reluctant to meet with us as they said they have 'moved on' from the decision to close the creche (we haven't!) but thanks to the amazing efforts of our local councillors Andy Foster and Simon Woolf, aided by National's newest MP Nicola Willis and of course the office of our local MP Grant Robertson, they turned up.

    They turned out in force and were represented by their Board Chair, Christine Lake, two other senior managers, and one of their on the ground team leads. We are really hopeful this is a signal that they are taking our issues around the closure and lack of community consultation seriously.

    We presented Christine Lake with a letter on behalf of parents of creche children and the wider Karori community that also outlined our legal advice. Based on our advice, we believe we are on firm ground to challenge Plunket over the closure. We put Plunket on notice and asked them to keep the creche open and to work with the community to ensure it remains open for the future.

    Plunket undertook to respond to our letter within 24 hours. Unfortunately, that time expired last night. We are still really hopeful they will let us know soon that they can keep the creche open and work with us in good faith to ensure we can keep these much needed ECE services in Karori.

    Yesterday I heard from another Plunket group who has also formally written to Plunket to outline their concerns and to reserve their right to take legal action...that group has not been responded to either.

    We hope Christine Lake is aware of the building momentum in Plunket areas around the country. Our message to Christine Lake is to please listen and genuinely consult with communities to find solutions that work for everyone, before Plunket’s good name and all the good work it does are undermined and the goodwill of New Zealand’s communities is lost forever.

    We'll let you know as soon as we have more news.

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  • 24 hours in and almost $500 raised already!

      29 March 2018

    Thank you all so much for your support! Today we have retained a lawyer and we've been working hard to provide her with all the information we can. She's going to assess everything and advise us on the way forward when we meet with her again after Easter.

    All this work against the backdrop of yet another story about Plunket on One News...this time axing jobs!

    Thanks again for your help in our fight to save our creche. We'll keep you updated with our progress...more soon!

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