Lizard News NOVEMBER 2022
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Te Puna • Whakamārama • Matakana Is • Ōmokoroa • Pahoia • Apata • Aongatete • Katikati • Tahāwai • Bowentown • Athenree • Waihī Beach
Digging in for town centre
By Matthew Farrell arthworks are about to begin in earnest in preparation for a new Ōmokoroa town centre project, on the site of a recently cleared kiwifruit orchard. The horticultural and property development company JACE was granted resource consent for a privately-funded $75 million project in May 2021, by independent commissioners appointed by the District Council. The mixed-use retail and commercial precinct at 404 Ōmokoroa Road will also have medium density residential units, and visitor accommodation. The 7.9hectare site includes 5.3 hectares already commercially zoned. The remainder is categorised as Future Urban. As part of resource consent obligations, JACE has an earthworks permit for the next two summer seasons from September to May, in which time they must prepare the ground in readiness for future roading, stormwater and power services. Some geotechnical test drills will also take place on softer ground. A Te Puna-based cultural monitor for Pirirākau hapū, Maali Murphy, visited the site on 28th September to catch up with the JACE team as well as Mark, Antonio, and Jacob from Sabre Construction. Maali says she isn’t fussy as long as dust and sediment is kept out of waterways. She will be around for archaeological interest when the first 400mm of topsoil is stripped, and says work would
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By Matthew Farrell izard News has learned the planned opening of two new schools in Ōmokoroa has been delayed by a year to 2026, with site works yet to begin. The new primary and secondary schools on the corner of Ōmokoroa Road and Prole Road will eventually include intermediate years, to free up roll
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Adele Selfridge and Hayley Larman from Southern Orchards with Pirirākau kaitiaki Maali Murphy, JACE Group Director Craig Lemon, and the Sabre construction team. PHOTO: Matthew Farrell.
only be stopped if bones were encountered. “Shells, fire cracked rocks and charcoal are your three ingredients for cooking. For finds like kūmara pits and middens we would just move works alongside
and carry on.” Most artefacts are only just below the grass. Maali says 800 or so obsidian flake tools have been found in Ōmokoroa so far. Although it appears like black glass, local obsidian is most commonly
green and from Mayor Island. Other examples of obsidian are red, yellow, charcoal grey and brown which tells us about relationships between Pirirākau and iwi from other areas such as Taupō, she says.
Delay for new College growth space at existing primaries. To hear input from the community, the appointed architects Warren and Mahoney held an informal drop-in engagement session at the sports pavilion on Saturday 7th May. The Ministry of Education’s Head of Property, Sam Fowler, says the design team is progressing with a master plan for the site.
“Design is set to continue and contractors are expected to be appointed next year. The consultation report will be sent to the Minister before the end of this year for the formal approval of the establishment of the schools. “Initially, the new schools were projected to open in 2025. This timeframe has since been updated to 2026. The Ministry has identified this is a more re-
alistic delivery schedule given the level of planning, design, consultation and construction activity required.” 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.