Lester Moystn from the Elermore Vale Neighbourhood centre
AN internal review of Newcastle's community facilities has been delayed for up to four months.
The review, which was expected to be handed down to Newcastle council in December, follows reported infighting between council and facility staff.
The review is expected to outline what model of management would work best for the hundreds of community facilities owned by Newcastle council, which was put to a stop last year due to staffing issues.
Presently the council has three different models of operation for its centres - one for those under the management of the council, one for those managed by centre staff and one for the facilities that act as a central hub for others.
According to the council's director of future city, Judy Jaeger, work completely stopped on the review for a number of months.
She said there was only one person who was managing the review and its findings by collating data.
The Star was contacted last year by upset staff at Maryland Multipurpose Centre as it was stripped of its management role after failing to recruit enough volunteer members to sustain its committee.
The centre was then placed under the leadership of the Jesmond Neighbourhood Centre, which was paid by the council to take control of the administrative duties.
That resulted in an ongoing battle, which Mrs Jaeger said had been fully resolved.
At the staff-managed Elermore Vale Neighbourhood Centre the restarting of the review has been welcomed.
President Lester Mostyn hoped the Elermore Vale centre would be seen as a sustainable facility as it was "virtually self-supporting".
The centre keeps afloat on a $250,000 budget with monies obtained through government grants and local fund-raising efforts.
"We manage to break even every year," he said.
"There are more than 800 people who walk through the doors of the Elermore Vale centre each week who do craft, yoga, dance as well as men's groups - we deliver what people want."
The centre is managed by three paid staff and 40 volunteers under the guidance of its nine-member board.
Mr Mostyn said he and the board wanted the council to invest more into the centres that were sustainable and self-supporting instead of spending money on new facilities.
