An Auckland City Council scoping study has confirmed an 'overwhelming' need for an LGBT Centre in central Auckland, says a researcher employed to investigate whether such a centre would be of use to the local community.

At yesterday evening's Auckland City Council LGBT Partnerships Committee meeting, researcher Jenny Rankine said the feedback she received from 124 completed surveys at February's Big Gay Out, along with twenty in-depth interviews, indicated there was a demand for an LGBT social and support space which is "not based around alcohol or sex".

Central Auckland has been shown to have the highest concentration of LGBT in New Zealand, and current drop-in centres – such as the Rainbow Youth centre and OUTline's headquarters downtown on Anzac Avenue – provided only specifically-targeted services or were inconveniently located, the study showed.

Young people, marginalised groups like Takataapui, and people on low incomes would particularly benefit from an LGBT centre, noted Rankine.

The study will be published next month, with an event to be held in Ponsonby Library on 5 June.