North Canterbury News: January 11, 2024
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NEWS<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>January</strong> <strong>11</strong>, <strong>2024</strong><br />
15<br />
Brakes put on major<br />
cycle way projects<br />
By DAVID HILL,<br />
Local Democracy Reporter<br />
The new Government has put the brakes<br />
on Waimakariri’s cycle ways projects,<br />
with asignificantly reduced budget.<br />
Funding has been confirmed for three<br />
projects, but three major cycle way<br />
projects, including the Kaiapoi to<br />
Woodend cycle way, are on hold,<br />
Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says.<br />
Transport Minister Simeon wrote to<br />
councils in December to advise he had<br />
told Waka Kotahi New Zealand<br />
Transport Agency to halt work on cycling<br />
and walking initiatives.<br />
‘‘I have given notice to NZTA to end its<br />
work on these programmes, and to not<br />
commit any further funding to local<br />
authorities (beyond existing contractual<br />
obligations) to develop these<br />
programmes.<br />
‘‘Thank you for your understanding as<br />
we work through these changes.’’<br />
Mr Gordon said he was pleased<br />
funding had been confirmed for some of<br />
the projects.<br />
‘‘We will have further comment once<br />
councillors and our community boards<br />
have had the opportunity to fully<br />
consider this alongside all projects in<br />
the Long Term Plan.’’<br />
The three approved projects included<br />
the Tram Road gritted path from<br />
Mandeville to Swannanoa School, the<br />
Mandeville Road to Ohoka gritted path<br />
and traffic calming and pedestrian<br />
facilities at Southbrook School.<br />
The remaining projects, including the<br />
Kaiapoi to Woodend, Rangiora<br />
(Southbrook) and Woodend to Pegasus<br />
cycle ways, will now be considered as<br />
part of the council’s Long Term Plan<br />
process.<br />
The cycle ways projects were<br />
developed as part of the council’s<br />
walking and cycling network plan, which<br />
was adopted in 2022 after extensive<br />
consultation with the community.<br />
The previous Government approved<br />
funding for a$6million project, which<br />
included the three cycle ways, in<br />
December 2022.<br />
The Government’s share was 75<br />
percent, as part of Waka Kotahi New<br />
Zealand Transport Agency’s Transport<br />
Choices Programme.<br />
Acouncil spokesperson said staff will<br />
continue to engage with Waka Kotahi on<br />
any other funding mechanisms which<br />
might be available.<br />
Mr Brown also advised councils of his<br />
intention to replace the Land Transport<br />
Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022.<br />
The rule required councils to submit<br />
draft speed management plans to Waka<br />
Kotahi by March 29.<br />
He said the new rule would require<br />
economic impacts, including travel<br />
times, to be considered when new speed<br />
limits were set.<br />
Variable speed limits would be<br />
required on roads approaching schools<br />
during pick up and drop off times, rather<br />
than permanent speed reductions.<br />
LDR is local body journalism cofunded<br />
by RNZ and NZ On Air.<br />
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By DAVID HILL,<br />
Local Democracy Reporter<br />
Oxford Area School is looking to the<br />
stars for inspiration to name its new<br />
buildings.<br />
The school has been leading the<br />
town’s bid for dark sky status, so it<br />
made sense to have aspace theme for<br />
the school’s redevelopment, principal<br />
Mike Hart said.<br />
Anew administration and learning<br />
block, set to open in time for the first<br />
day of term one, February 5, will be<br />
named Takurua or Sirius, the<br />
brightest star in the night sky.<br />
The school hosted Wairarapabased<br />
space science educators Sam Leske<br />
and Haritina Mogosanu in August to<br />
help embed some new spacebased<br />
curriculum.<br />
‘‘The night sky named the buildings.<br />
It was meant to be. It just lined up,’’ Mr<br />
Hart said.<br />
‘‘Hari and Sam realised when taking<br />
areference point of the front of the<br />
school in November, when you look<br />
from the eastern horizon at the<br />
constellations, the brightest star is<br />
directly above the new building.’’<br />
In Māori tradition, Takurua was a<br />
star which ‘‘was given so much mana it<br />
had to be the brightest’’, Mr Hart said.<br />
Te Waka oTamarereti, which<br />
encapsulates constellations such as<br />
Orion’s belt and the Southern Cross, is<br />
being incorporated into the school’s<br />
cultural narrative with the help of Te<br />
Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga.<br />
The year 4to6block was already<br />
named Aotahi (Orion), while ‘‘the<br />
navigator’sstar’’ Canopus aligned<br />
with the new entrants to year 3block.<br />
Canopus in Māori tradition was the<br />
stern of the waka, Mr Hart said.<br />
The anchor of the waka is the<br />
Southern Cross, which in the<br />
November alignment was across the<br />
road from the school, ‘‘which means<br />
we are anchored in the community’’.<br />
Mr Hart said the students were<br />
excited about the prospect of seeing<br />
inside the new building.<br />
‘‘We have shared the progress of the<br />
building with the students and images<br />
of what it looks like inside.<br />
‘‘We can see the finish line. We are<br />
very close and it is something very<br />
special for the community.’’<br />
The new building comprised six<br />
teaching spaces, anew library space,<br />
canteen and administration spaces.<br />
It will offer modern teaching spaces<br />
for sciences, food technology and<br />
general teaching.<br />
More building projects are planned<br />
as part of the school’s $10 million<br />
redevelopment, which was first<br />
announced in 2018.<br />
Next up is the demolition of the<br />
school’s old science and technology<br />
block in term one.<br />
Asecond building is planned for<br />
music, art and other technology<br />
classes, but no date has been set.<br />
‘‘We don’t expect any construction<br />
this year, so we will all appreciate a<br />
breather,’’ Mr Hart said.<br />
These first two stages of the<br />
redevelopment will give the year 1 to<br />
13 school capacity to grow from 500 to<br />
600 students.<br />
LDR is local body journalism cofunded<br />
by RNZ and NZ On Air.<br />
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