New London St bus shelter

Kaiti School students Te Ataarangi Rangiwai and Hikirangi Kerei are all smiles about the new London Street bus shelter. Picture by Liam Clayton

It has been a community effort to get a new ‘‘knowledge house’’ in London Street.

The project has been a collaboration with shop owners in the neighbourhood, residents and school students, who have been supported by Shane Kingsbeer from Kingsbeer Architecture, Ben Stevenson from EIT and council staff.

Councillor Meredith Akuhata-Brown has been the link to bring everyone together for a much-appreciated outcome.

“It has been a wonderful collaboration,” she said.

“The council had spent some time and energy upgrading the London Street Reserve and had built a wharekai in the park.

“The bus shelter concept design used that wharekai idea to continue the theme to build a whare akonga (knowledge house), as it will house mainly students catching the bus to school.”

The London Street spot is one of the most popular collection points for school students, Go Bus drivers say.

“It’s going to be used by all bus-users in the neighbourhood and we are now looking forward to some art work from students living around here to add to the structure,” said Mrs Akuhata-Brown.

She has been talking to Kaiti School principal Billie-Jean Potaka-Ayton to talk further about art designs.

Water mains beneath the shelter have been replaced, and it is now hoped the project will be completed within a few weeks.

The shelter has cost $15,000 and been funded 63 percent by NZTA.