Parts of Bow St will be closed today as the palm trees get a trim. Traffic coming into the CBD will be diverted around Bankart St to start with but that will change later as the crane and mulching truck move down the road. Conditions are very noisy in town while this work is being completed.
Pipiri Kelly and Keira Hishon have been announced as Head Boy and Head Girl at Raglan Area School for the 2024 year. They will follow on from Emma Higgins and Luke Dymond who were this year’s Head Students. Rory Sargent, Leo O’Loughlin, Mia Paisnel and Shannon Marquand will form the rest of the leadership team while Jazaya-Lee Neild-Cooksley has been voted as the student rep for the board of trustees.
Still at Raglan Area School, they’ve announced staffing changes for the new year with a number of teachers taking a year off for study, maternity leave or just to refresh, they are Naomi Tovio, Hilary Elliot, Emily Meleshenko and Dave O’Loughlin. Bonita Herbert, Annike Frie, Richy Tau’alupe and Ruby Agnew will be teaching elsewhere, and teaching power couple Kerry Arlidge-Rangitonga and Glenn Rangitonga are leaving the school after many years service to the community with Glenn retiring and Kerry taking up new opportunities.
Work along the waterfront continues in Raglan with the Bow St access to the Papahua walkbridge closed while they strengthen the retaining walls. Pedestrians will need to walk down Wi Neera st to access the southern end of the walkway if they want to get over toe Jo’s takeaways and work is also continuing down at the wharf on the new walkway past the Silos.
Council says that contaminated material has been excavated and removed offsite. They’ve excavated down to the papa shelf to create a solid footing for the toe of something they’re calling a revetement. Tonnes of boulders have since been delivered and placed.
This week concrete trucks were lined up delivering concrete for the footpaths. Although the programme was revised due to consenting delays council says the project will complete the major deliverables before it is packed down on 21 December 2023. This means the bulk of the work will be done and the wharf will be fully open to the public between 21 December and 12 February. The public will have access to the new tidal terrace and walkway, and the kayak ramp, with just a few signs and artistic items to be installed along with a bit of road surfacing after the summer rush is over in the new year.