New site for Hastings kura has been approved

Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education) Kelvin Davis with Ministry of Education Hawke's Bay director of education Roy Sye and press secretary Rob Johnson. Photo/Paul Taylor

The relocation journey for a Hastings school has passed its final hurdle following an announcement by associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis yesterday.

Davis made an announcement to Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Wānanga Whare Tāpere o Takitimu that their proposed new site at Bennett Rd had been approved.

Preliminary design work for the new 3ha site has already begun and could be completed by late 2020 to open in Term 1, 2021.

Currently located at Albert St in Hastings, the kura had become too small to cater for the growing number of families wanting to enrol their children.

It was set to move on to Ministry of Education owned land at Arataki, Havelock North, but the Ministry rejected the idea in 2016 because an environmental evaluation of the site found it was likely to experience regular odour emissions from the Te Mata mushroom farm.

In August last year it was announced that the Ministry of Education had purchased the new Bennett Rd site but approval had to be made by Hastings District Council to designate the land for educational purposes.

Davis said news of the approval was a pleasure to announce at the kura's current Albert St building alongside Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Meka Whaitiri yesterday afternoon.

"What a fantastic site, it's just perfect.

"It's going to be a purpose-built kura."

The school would now have free reign to design a building that would fit their tamariki's future educational needs, he said.

"It's a real opportunity for them to dream big and to design a purpose built facility."

A spokesperson for the minister said Hastings District Council approved the redesignation of the site for educational purposes earlier this month.

"That was the last hurdle to relocate."

Development of the new site will begin shortly.

In September last year, the Ministry of Education lodged a Notice of Requirement (NoR) to designate the Bennett Rd land for educational purposes.

The hearing for Hastings District Council to consider the application was held in February.

Further information:

- $12.7 million was approved last year for a new build.

- The final stage was awaiting the approval of the site designation by the Hastings District Council.

-A large residential development is now underway at the former Arataki Motor Camp site with the promoter saying odour from Te Mata mushroom farm shouldn't be an issue.