New courts for Makara Model School

M ara Model School has been awarded a $20,000 grant to help cover the cost of installing new concrete on their netball and basketball courts.

The grant has been made by the New Zealand Community Trust.

“The court is an invaluable resource because it is our only non-grass sports area and used year round for netball, basketball, and other activities,” the school’s Principal Caroline Wills says.

“The students use the court both during class lessons and at break times for organised and recreation activities.

“Our old court surfaces were badly cracked and needed to be excavated and relayed, rather than just overlaying new concrete.

“They are used not only for school activities, but the local M kara and Karori communities also access the courts on weekends and outside of school hours.

“The kids really love playing netball and basketball with their friends, and at the same time learning valuable team skills.

“We’re very proud of our natural environment and the outdoor learning opportunities we provide,” Ms Wills says.

“Together with our outdoor summer pool, bike track, playground, vegetable gardens, and flying fox, the netball court is an essential part of our outdoor education programme.

“This generous grant will allow us to excavate the existing court and replace it with a newly renovated surface, making it a much safer place for kids and their families to play.”

M kara Model School is a small semi-rural primary school with just 79 students.

We have four classrooms, including a newly renovated building and the original school house which was recently shifted onto the grounds,” Ms Wills says.

“Our grounds include a flying fox, sandpit, large bike track, playground, vegetable gardens, chicken coop, and our own swimming pool.

“Our kids climb trees, make huts, and love working in our gardens.

“We strive to make our learning process authentic, meaningful, and fun.

“Our tamariki also take part in community activities such as tree planting, monitoring waterways, cleaning the beach, eradicating pests, and engaging with the local community beyond our school boundaries.

“We all learn, play, and grow together, collaborating on a range of learning activities throughout each term.

“Our staff are enthusiastic, passionate, and dedicated to providing rich, meaningful learning experiences that will create those special memories and grow children into confident, capable young people,” Ms Wills says.

Hey Everyone! We are continuing to see more hope and a path back to market normality. However, the recover phase will take a bit longer.

: Interest rates appear to be peaking and with long-term rates coming down, we are seeing more people going for shorter terms with the belief that interest rates will drop as the year progresses. This will be good to help with buyer affordability/prices they can offer on houses.

: One area that may counter any relief in interest rates, will be the drop in earnings. A year or so ago the job market was so tight, unemployment was low, and it was impossible to find staff. Competition for jobs could return as more businesses close or look to find savings in their organisation.

: Following the exodus away from this area during the height of the pandemic, the city needs more people. On record, the population number in Wellington grew slightly, however, this data is highly inaccurate, but the trend is beginning to show. This is likely due to businesses starting to enforce working back at the office.

: At this stage, nothing has been discussed that will significantly change the landscape of property prices. Spending & cost of living still appears to be the poster child of this election. We’re likely to see some benefit given to landlords still. Supply/Demand: Houses for sale / sold are balancing at the moment, this further supports we are likely at the end of this correction cycle.

: Landlords continue to try to increase rent to cover some of the losses, but are struggling to find tenants at these higher rates. Landlords continue to lose significant money every single week and this is expected to continue for quite some time.

: Bank confidence continues to grow, the lower long-term rates are positive and their appetite to give mortgages to home-buyers continues. Commercial/business loans however are still heavily scrutinised, which limits economic growth and also developments in the area.

Sadly, in these sorts of markets where people are ‘fearful’ the rich (who do not rely on bank lending) do prosper. We’re seeing more and more actual ‘cash’ investors looking to buy at the bottom of the market. Developers who follow the market are looking at development sites for future use. Warren Buffet once said, “be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” This has never been truer than in the last few years.

If you are thinking about making a property move, do get in touch and we can discuss your situation in detail and ensure you are getting the best possible advice to help you move on in your best interests.

Written by William YIP

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