Two Sweet Homes
In August the first of two brand new pre-built homes left the Auckland-based Transbuild depot en route to The Salvation Army’s Blue Mountain Adventure Centre (BMAC) in Raurimu. The need for warm, dry housing for staff became a critical issue for the BMAC Board when the availability of appropriate accommodation in the small town of Raurimu rapidly dwindled.
‘When staff have been working with groups and facilitating activities on the mountain—out in the wild all day—but coming home to poorly insulated older houses, well, we had to do better for our staff,’ explains Major Mat Badger, who was the BMAC director when the project began. ‘BMAC is located in a very isolated part of the country, so we also needed to consider the overall health and mental wellbeing of our staff and their families.’
Before the new houses there were only two staff houses onsite, the manager’s house and the old lodge. One of the new houses is a family dwelling, while the other has six ensuite bedrooms with a communal living and eating area for sole instructors or apprentices.
The project was spearheaded by BMAC Manager Kyle Aitken, with Area Property Manager Jeff Myles in full support, and the BMAC Board.
‘BMAC has struggled to provide quality accommodation for their staff,’ explains Jeff. ‘These new houses will provide surety for BMAC to offer staff quality accommodation. This is an attractive part of their employment package as previously the housing options were very underwhelming.’
These two sweet homes are part of a strategic plan for the mission’s future sustainability. Current BMAC Director Major Stu Tong affirms the new houses strongly signal The Salvation Army’s commitment to the mission of BMAC.
‘The two houses that are now on site honour the work and commitment of the instructors and apprentices of the BMAC team,’ says Stu. ‘We will also now be able to expand our staffing levels with a view to extending the BMAC adventure programme, allowing more people to encounter God in the great outdoors.’
Integral to the project has been the installation of a new sewage system. The proximity of the nearby river meant that 5000 trees had to be planted to aid filtration. This was a huge team effort over the past few years and BMAC now has a small forest on site, with bird life increasing significantly.
