Waipatu community members, contractors, Hastings District council staff, mayor and councillors and government officials joined together at Waipatu marae to celebrate the project. Photo / Ian Cooper
Waipatu community members, contractors, Hastings District council staff, mayor and councillors and government officials joined together at Waipatu marae to celebrate the project. Photo / Ian Cooper
The completion of roading projects that the community had been calling for was celebrated last weekend.
About 150 people gathered at Waipatu Marae in Hastings last Sunday to celebrate the completion of roading projects around the district including upgrades on State Highway 51 outside the marae.
Last August the councilgot $9.37 million for "shovel ready" work from the Government's Covid Response and Recovery Fund.
A key component of the money was to address rising unemployment because of Covid-19.
The council partnered with the Ministry of Social Development to create jobs for people who had lost work either temporarily or permanently because of Covid-19 or the Government's response to it through the "Jobs for Heretaunga" initiative.
With the money, improvements have been made to footpaths, the iWay walking and cycling network and various other safety projects, including on SH51 at Waipatu, which was a joint project with Waka Kotahi NZTA.
The celebration was held at Waipatu marae where road upgrades have taken place out the front on SH51. Photo / Ian Cooper
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says the Waipatu project alone created 20 permanent positions across all the contractors.
Contractors Fulton Hogan, Higgins, ACL, Proseal, Russell Roads, Dodge Contracting, McNatty Construction Ltd, Topline Contracting and Downer had contributed to the projects that were spread across the district, Waipatu being the biggest.
In total, the Heretaunga project created 48 new jobs.
Waipatu Marae committee chairperson Aria Graham said at the event last Sunday that the work that had been done to improve safety had been wonderful.
"I grew up here over the road – it was much quieter then.
"All the developments are wonderful - the most important thing of all though is the relationships – all of us coming together and moving forward with the planning to make it happen."
Sandra says the project arose from the community's request to council through its Waipatu Community Plan to make the road safer for drivers and pedestrians.
"We heard the call to sort out this road, and thanks to Central Government's support for the regions through its shovel-ready funding, we were able to bring this project forward.
"I'm proud that one year on, despite the uncertainties of Covid-19, our partnership with Government and the community has made this happen."
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi chair Ngahiwi Tomoana officiated Sunday's celebration and also thanked the workers who had made it happen, highlighting the importance of the collaboration involved.
