16 September 2020
School students learn about lakefront construction
I haere atu ngā tauira o Te Kura o Pukera Oruawhata ki te tirotiro haere i ngā mahi whakarite I te ahua hou o te wāhi e mōhiotia ana ko te Lakefront. He mahi ako, he kaupapa whakakī i te kete mātauranga, he hokinga anō hoki ki ngā whenua i takahia e ō rātau na tūpuna.
This morning, students from Rotorua Primary School went to observe the work that is being done on the Lakefront. It was an opportunity to learn and fill their baskets of knowledge. It was also a chance to connect with the land and the stories of their ancestors.
As part of an engagement programme between the school, Rotorua Lakes Council and HEB Construction, 60 students visited Stage 1 of the Rotorua Lakefront Redevelopment project to see first-hand how the new lake edge is being constructed.
Students donned high visibility safety vests as they were shown around the worksite by HEB Construction.
HEB Construction's Project Manager, Cole Meiring, explains what the students learnt about.
Today we took the students around the Stage 1 worksite and showed them some key areas of work.
At our first session with the school, students expressed an interest in the environment and sustainability so today we showed them how we manage dirty water on the site by putting it through our sediment treatment container and testing the water before returning it to the lake.
We showed them an area along the lakefront where mass stabilisation has been completed to harden the ground in preparation for surface construction works and explained how this was done.
We also got the crane going, lifted a few objects and got the students to guess the weight, which they seemed to really enjoy!
Principal of Rotorua Primary School, Fred Whata, said he was thankful for the opportunity to work with Council and HEB Construction over the course of the project.
This was the second engagement session with the school. Sessions are scheduled to occur twice a term and will cover a range of different aspects of the Lakefront Redevelopment project. Previously students learnt about the history of the lakefront, how the project came to be, and what the finished product will look like.
Sessions for the rest of the year will include further site visits so students can see the project progress, as well as a more in-depth session about the cultural heritage of the Lakefront reserve. The sessions are being led by Rotorua Lakes Council and HEB Construction, who are working on lake edge section of the project, and will be supported by other project partners.
Council is also extending the programme to Te Rangihakahaka Centre for Science and Technology and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu so the three main kura in the immediate vicinity of the Lakefront reserve can be involved in the project.
Lakefront Redevelopment background information
In 2018, a $19.9 million Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment was announced for the Lakefront Redevelopment project. This is being used alongside $20.1 million of co-funding from Council, to transform this recreational, economic and cultural resource. In July 2020, an additional $1 million PGF investment to progress work on a cultural overlay for the lakefront project was announced. The lakefront design has been made possible through the support of our partners, the Gifted Reserves Committee (Pukeroa Ōruawhata Trust) and Te Arawa Lakes Trust. The design reflects the heritage and ongoing contribution of Ngāti Whakaue and Te Arawa to the Rotorua district. Together, our vision is to develop the lakefront into an outstanding recreational area that will benefit locals, support tourism, and encourage private investment, which will in turn create new jobs and benefit Rotorua's community.
For more information about the Lakefront Redevelopment project visit visiontoaction.nz.
