Teacher strike
The Post Primary Teachers Association [PPTA] will resume strike action, with Year 12 students rostered home today. Year 10 students will be rostered home next Tuesday, and Year 9 students will be rostered home next Thursday. The PPTA is resuming strikes after it rejected the latest pay offer from the Ministry of Education as inadequate. The teacher’s union and the ministry have been unsuccessfully negotiating for a new collective employment agreement for a year.
Park upgrade
Greytown’s Soldiers Memorial Park is set for an upgrade. At a meeting today South Wairarapa District Council Infrastructure and Community Services Committee will discuss two build projects in the park named in the Long-Term Plan. The first is to demolish and rebuild the pavilion to be larger in order to accommodate the expanding size and needs of clubs. The second is to upgrade the ablution facility at the Greytown swimming pool. Today’s meeting agenda said the upgrade was long overdue and will provide facilities for sports and clubs while the pavilion build takes place.
MDC’s cycleway
Consultation is now open on Masterton District Council’s [MDC] proposed Lansdowne to Kuripuni cycleway. The proposed cycleway is intended to provide a safe cycle route for school students and other users along Colombo Rd and Herbert St, and would be funded by Waka Kotahi NZTA as part of its Transport Choices programme. As well as Lakeview Primary and Chanel College, the cycleway could provide part of the route for students of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Wairarapa, Makoura College, and students from the east of Masterton travelling to and from Masterton Intermediate and Masterton Primary School. The consultation will run until 4pm on Monday, June 19.
Lessons learned
In a report tabled at today’s South Wairarapa District Council Infrastructure and Community Services Committee meeting, chairperson Aidan Ellims has urged the council to conduct a ‘Lessons Learned Review’. Ellims said the council’s former chief executive, Harry Wilson, had mentioned a review after Cyclone Hale, “with the aim of looking for improvements”. He asked that the review take place so that the council is prepared in the event of another disaster.
