Talks on emergency building funding

Community Trust of Southland grants manager Dianne Williams will meet the Kingston emergency building fund committee to discuss funding for the first time today.

Committee chairman Dr John Jones said the visit would be the first significant contact with the trust, "so we can each find out what the likelihood is of getting funding from them."

The committee is appealing for help from community funding bodies to meet the $180,000 shortfall for its proposed extension of the Kingston fire station.

The extension would accommodate the fire brigade, St John, part-time health professionals and a police service, at a cost of about $300,000.

The adoption of a timeline for the project was resolved at the latest meeting of eight representatives from the Kingston Community Association, Queenstown Lakes District Council, St John and the National Rural Fire Service, in the township last month.

Chairman John Jones said the committee aimed to have plans, costings and contractors finalised at the next meeting on April 27.

"We can then approach funding agencies with these ideas and discuss with them how to develop the detailed applications."

Proposals would be submitted at the end of August, ahead of the trust's closing date for applications in September.

An artist's impression of the new facility and a fundraising thermometer to chart progress and raise public awareness would be displayed on the fire station site.

More community fundraising events were in the works after the Cats To Carmen opera evening.

About $15,000 has been raised by residents over the past year.

The project has raised more than $120,000, mostly in grants and pledges from the district council, St John and the rural fire service.

Dr Jones hoped the committee have enough this year to start construction in time for a mid-2010 completion.