28 October 2004

Child, Youth and Family looks for Resource Management Act Consultant

Child, Youth and Family is recruiting a Resource Management Act consultant for the building of a Youth Justice Residence in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato area.

Preliminary work on the 24-bed residence was announced in June when the government signed off this key initiative from the 2003 Residential Services Strategy.

“The Department of Child, Youth and Family has not yet identified any specific sites. We have engaged planning and property consultants to undertake research that will form part of the background information to be provided to a site selection working group,” said the Programme Director for the Residential Services Strategy, Lynne Dovey.

Beginning in February 2005, a working group will be formed to help identify a suitable site, purchase land, and obtain either a designation for public works or a certificate of compliance under the Resource Management Act 1991.

The site selection group will be recruited from local government, iwi, and key agencies including the regional offices of Child, Youth and Family, the Police and the Courts.

“Using a local site selection group ensures that community leaders are involved in the site selection decision, and that we eventually choose a site which meets the needs of Child, Youth and Family as well as the judiciary, the Courts and the Police,” Lynne Dovey said.

She said Child, Youth and Family will first meet with local authorities in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato area to outline the site selection process and discuss the draft site selection criteria before the site selection group begins meeting in February 2005.

Details about the request for expressions of interest for a Resource Management Act consultant are available on the government electronic tenders service: www.gets.govt.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media