16th Sept Meeting - time to act and get real!!

A Meeting of those who support the continued operation of the Opoutere Hostel will be held Saturday 16th September. Now's the time to manifest your feelings, dedication and determination to this cause by taking action. This is a chance for you to demonstrate in person the support you expressed on change.org, along with hundreds of others, to help keep Opoutere Hostel open. Recent events mean we must act quickly: The board of YHA have announced the closure of the Opoutere hostel after Easter 2018. The board recognised the Opoutere Members Group as an official group of the YHA association at the same meeting The above 2 points are somewhat confusing as the aim of the group is to work with all interested parties to explore every possible avenue to keep the hostel operating within YHA. The CEO of YHA has stated the following: i) The Board has made a decision to close Opoutere following Easter 2018. This decision reflects the lack of viability of the hostel given its location, capacity and occupancy, as well as the ongoing investment required in support of compliance and YHA brand standards (in excess of $500,000 over the next 10 years). ii) The aspiration in the period leading up to closure is to reach agreement to hand-over the property to a like-minded organisation with Objects aligned with those of YHA. Very tentative discussions have already taken place and a likely scenario is that visitor accommodation will continue to be on offer during peak holiday periods. iii) I would like to work with the Opoutere Member Group to effect a positive transition. iv) So, the upshot is that the hostel is not going to remain in the YHA network, but the intention is to hand over to a like-minded organisation and preserve the site as a holiday option, particularly for YHA members. The following motion is submitted for the Agenda of the YHA AGM to be held late October in Wellington “That the YHA National Board shall defer the decision regarding the future of Opoutere Hostel for 12 months to enable fully informed consultation amongst all interested parties” We need everyone who is passionate about Opoutere remaining open to attend this meeting, regardless if you are a member of YHA or not. If you are unable can make it to the meeting email with us with your support (and membership number if you are a current member) with any ideas, questions or contributions that you have for the meeting. If you are members and attending please being you membership number with you. We need each and every one of you to be there to be there so we can work as a group to ascertain the best possible way to progress so that the best possible outcome is attained for all stakeholders. While the board's actions may appear confusing we have told them that we will consult the petitioners and supporters before giving feedback. We are not suggesting a resolution to the situation here as we feel that is best determined at the meeting. There is much experience, wisdom and passion within the souls of all who love and support Opoutere, which now needs to be galvanised into practical coordinated activity. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible there. When: 1 PM Saturday 16th September Where: St David’s Presbyterian Church, Khyber Pass, Grafton, Auckland. Any questions please email saveopoutereyha@gmail.com