2025 date for new school at Nūhaka

Nūhaka School was flooded in Cyclone Gabrielle in February. Three weeks after the cyclone the school was told the buildings could never be used again. A new school is planned for opening in January 2025, on a site yet to be determined. File picture

by Jack Ward

Plans are on track for a new Nūhaka School, opening at the beginning of the 2025 school year.

But exactly where the school will  be sited is still being considered, after this year’s weather events.

The school was flooded during Cyclone Gabrielle and has since been operating out of temporary premises.

Parents and the community learned more about the new school build and where it will be located, at a hui at Nūhaka Fire Station.

Robyn Burns, Ministry of Education infrastructure manager, said the date remained the same and the time frame was to have the designs by February and the buildings built off site in a factory and then moved on site by September next year.

It would take three to six months to have the buildings up and running for Term 1, 2025.

“We are doing the build backwards; there is no change in time frame,” she said.

“Our only constraint is where we are going to put it.”

Mrs Burns was forthright about the importance of getting the new school built.

“It is our No. 1  priority —  we are rebuilding the school.”

Sefton Alexander asked if there was a plan B site.

“Is there a second build site? I think we are going to be pretty disappointed with regional council so we need an alternative site.”

“Who makes the final decision? Is this built locally, regionally or nationally driven?” asked Dav Whaanga.

The buildings took an average of 300 days to build, Mrs Burns said.

Risk factors associated with the stormwater catchment and the need to get a solution around drainage were behind decisions not to place the buildings where the school is now.

The loudest cheer of the hui was the news that the new school would come equipped with a pool.

“The new school will replace what you already have and that includes the pool,” said Mrs Burns.

“This takes longer than anyone wants it to and the solutions of the past cannot help us in the future,” said Wairoa Recovery manger Benita Tahuri.

“We still have no flood mitigation plan nine months on which is a sobering thought.”

For local Gordon Preston, the new school should become an area school and even offer tertiary courses.

“There are enough resources to have EIT and a tertiary hub based out here with Mōrere, Māhia, Nūhaka and Whakakī.”

The travel time would be greatly reduced.

“Why should Māhia kids have to make a 50km trip each day to Wairoa College and 30km for Nūhaka kids?”

For Mr Preston, the focus was on the future and potential of what the school could be.

“I hope Nūhaka School gets restored to how it used to be and with the potential to be an education hub for Māhia, Mōrere, Whakakī and Nūhaka similar to Ngata Memorial College in Ruatōria.”