Temporary Road Closure Outside New Hāwera School

Last Monday the Council’s policy and strategy committee agreed to a request from Hawera’s newest school – Te Paepae o Aotea, to close a section of Camberwell Road during school hours for student safety.

Te Paepae o Aotea replaces both Hāwera High School, which closes on December 9, and Hāwera Intermediate, which has already closed.

A section of Camberwell Road divides Hāwera High School’s existing campus from Bayly Park, a sportsground opposite.

While Te Paepae o Aotea will be built on the Hāwera High School site, the school will use 16 prefab classrooms on Bayly Park to accommodate students until the old buildings are demolished and the new facilities are built.

Te Paepae o Aotea Principal Rachel Williams told the committee there will be 1,150 students from year 7 - 13 at the new school when it opens in February 2023.

“During the next few years, our campus will be on both sides of Camberwell Rd, with students crossing to get between classes. We’ve deliberately put the year 11-13 students at Bayly Park, but these students will need to go back and forth as their special classrooms like labs and workshops, are on the old school site,” she says.

“Older students should be able to look both ways, but that’s not the way it is, and sometimes cars fly through there really fast.”

The school was also working out where teachers and students’ cars would be parked, and how to manage drop-off and pick-up times.

The committee agreed to close the section of the road outside the school between 8.30am and 3:30pm on school days. The move is to be reviewed every 12 months.