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Home / Aucklander

So close, but so far

The Aucklander
29 Sep, 2010 05:19 PM4 mins to read

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This new high school is across Harinder Singh's back fence. But can his son go there? Sadly, no. Hayley Hannan explains.
Harinder Singh looks out his window at a shiny new Ormiston Senior College across empty green paddocks.
"For the next year the school is right there but [my son] can't go
there. Either we have to sell the house and move down there, or my son goes to Howick or Otara."
Mr Singh is one of many Botany residents frustrated at being left out of the school zone for Ormiston College, a new state-of-the-art school opening in February next year.
He lives on Chapel St, one of the streets marking Ormiston College zone's boundaries. The zone runs through the middle of his road, cutting his house out of the school catchment.
A petition of Botany residents lists 120 names, all calling for an extension of the the college zone to cover surrounding streets left out of the area.
Fellow Botany Junction resident Jason Chiang, says the existing boundaries focus on the paddocks of Flat Bush, land designated for a new Flat Bush town centre.
"But how do you know this town will be actually built? The new town centre should have started developing since last year but, because of the economic circumstance, they postponed."
Mr Chiang learned of the zoning issue in April. After forming the Botany Junction Residents Association, he contacted the college and Botany Community Board.
The board held a number of meetings with individuals and a public forum this month. In the same month, the board agreed to lend its support.
Acting board chair Wayne Huang says since negotiations have not worked, an early ministerial review of school zones is needed.
"The Botany Junction area is currently within the Otara Ward of the Manukau City Council but, from November 1 this year, will be part of the Botany subdivision of the Howick Local Board of the new Auckland Council."
Mr Huang says since Botany Junction is classified as part of Botany, residents should be allowed to go to the Botany school.
He has written to Education Minister Anne Tolley, Botany MP Patsy Wong and Ormiston College's principal and board requesting a review next year. A governmental review is scheduled for 2012. The Ministry of Education told The Aucklander no earlier review is planned.
Group manager Jeremy Wood says zones stop overcrowding but exceptions can be made.
Ormiston principal Maurice Jackways says the school supports the current zoning choice.
He says although he is sympathetic to residents outside the school's boundaries, he sees no reason to change the zone. "All the students coming to our school are from our feeder zone, Mission Heights Junior College. If the zone suits the school that's going to feed us then why should we change it?"
He says the Ministry of Education decided on the zone after consulting surrounding schools and the public. "What they do is the big picture view. I think what has happened is that they have anticipated that there are going to be a huge number of houses [there] that is, at the moment, paddock."
Dr Jian Yang argues the consultation process wasn't good enough. He says many residents were left out of the process because of language barriers. "Ormiston College consulted neighbouring schools and put a public notice in the local paper but they did not talk to the residents," says the Botany Junction Residents Association spokesperson. "The local residents didn't know that there was a local consultation process and they don't know there was a chance to talk about the submissions."
For now, Mr Chiang and his neighbours are holding out for a change of zone in time for the 2012 school year.
Costly lines
Real estate agent Neil Baker, of Ray White Botany Town Centre, says school zones play a key role in his clients' house purchase decisions.
"The area is a good economic area for its schooling. That's why we have a lot of immigrants coming to the area - for modern housing and good schooling. He says zones can have a dramatic effect on price. "People will pay more to be in a school zone that's more desirable."

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