Lizard News APRIL 2023
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New school builds start next year By Matthew Farrell he construction of two new schools in Ōmokoroa is expected to begin in early 2024. The start date closely follows news of the Council awarding the contract for a $23.5 million urbanisation upgrade of the previously rural Prole Road, to unlock the development of the schools and improve access to 2,500 future homes.
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The Ministry owns parcels of land on the corner of Ōmokoroa and Prole Roads, having purchased a dwelling at 12 Prole Road three years ago. The Minister of Education, Tauranga-based list MP Hon Jan Tinetti, says Ōmokoroa Primary School will initially provide 350 places for Year 1-6 students, with capacity to expand the roll to 550. Ōmokoroa Secondary School will initially provide 800 places for Year 7-13 students, with capacity to expand the roll to 1200. “I’ve been involved previously as a backbench MP, but I’m so proud to now make this announcement as the Minister after all the lobbying from the get-go. This is so needed for the community. It could have been so much more difficult, but Western Bay District Council has been fantastic,” says Minister Tinetti. Mayor James Denyer says it’s about providing the community with great facilities. “Local kids will be able to cycle to school. A traffic mode shift will have a really important impact on congestion, as parents and buses won’t have to use State Highway 2,” he says. Community Board member Greig Neilson agrees it’s an important milestone. “For the past four years, our community has been pushing for this firm announcement from the government. Right now, a roundabout at Ōmokoroa Road and four-laning of the highway to Te Puna can’t come soon enough,” says Greig. Estimates in the National Education Growth Plan originally projected the need for a new secondary school in the area by the end of the decade before locals petitioned and presented to a Parliamentary Select Committee to have the plans brought forward.
Minister of Education Jan Tinetti, and Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer, at the Ōmokoroa site following the announcement. PHOTO: Matthew Farrell.
have been a long time, but it needed the foresight of a few community-minded people to badger the Community Board, who in turn supported the need for the Council to set aside land and not be dictated to by developers. “With the support of a petition from the community and very up-to-date statistics and projections, the Ministry was left with no choice but to purchase the land.
Former resident, and high school campaigner Karen Loten, tells Lizard News that good things come to those who are patient.
“A petition of 2,235 signatures does not seem huge, but it was virtually the whole of the over-16 population of Ōmokoroa at the time. Cross-political party support was vital, with Todd Muller, our then MP, flying in to support the community team of three at the Select Committee. The personal support of Jan Tinetti was also amazing,” says Karen.
“The go-ahead for new Ōmokoroa schools seems to
The Deputy Secretary of the Ministry’s Central area,
Jocelyn Mikaere, says the development of the new schools and student intakes will be staged over time with input from the Establishment Board. “The cost of the development will depend on final designs and staging requirements for the build, so we are unable to give an indicative costing at this stage. Funding for the new schools will be drawn down through future budgets,” says Jocelyn. The Ministry of Education will call for nominations for the Establishment Board in the next couple of months. One of the Board’s many jobs will be to work with the community and iwi to establish a new name for the school. Budget 2022 allocated funds for the planning and design. In October last year, the Ministry told Lizard News contractors were expected to be appointed in 2023.