LIKE A NILE TEMPLE

Evening Star, Issue 21054, 17 March 1932, Page 3

LIKE A NILE TEMPLE

* SUBMERSION BY DAM WATERS SCHOOL AT WAIPORI TOWNSHIP Once a large attended school, the Waipori Township School now has only eight pupils. Hydro-electric development threatens the school with flooding, and so as to save it from being submerged the City Council has decided to remove the building to a site above the water level. The construction of the Lake Mahinorangi dam and the consequent rising of the level of the water in the lake has rendered it necessary to move the_ existing school building at Waipori to another site, or in the alternative, erect another building (reported the E.P, and L. Committee to the City Council last night). It has now been agreed with the Education Board that the present building should be moved and arrangements have been made for the work to be put in hand at once by the department’s own staff in accordance with plans and specifications to be supplied by the Education Board. Cr Marlow expressed appreciation of the fair manner in which the Education Board had met the department. Cr Mitchell said the Waipori School, with only eight pupils, was probably the smallest in Now Zealand.

The Mayor: It must be, although I read that one family attends the Shingle Creek School. Cr Begg: It may be a very small school just now, but in view of the development of the hydro-electric works it may become a very large school. Goodness only knows, we may have a secondary school up there. The Mayor remarked that the children would have a long way to walk to school, as the building was situated in the old Waipori Township. Cr Begg asked if the school was being removed to a site which would make it clear of water level once the dam was raised to its full height. The Economy Committee had proposed that schools under a certain size should adopt the correspondence classes, said Cr M'lndoe. If by chance legislation to that effect were introduced the cost of shifting the building might be saved by the council. Under the old arrangement with the Education Board and the residents concerned, said Cr Shaddock, the council had to shift the school to above water line. The water was now touching one corner of the school. As soon_ as the parents of the children attending the school were agreed as to the site the building would be removed, so that when the dam was raised to the 100 ft level the school would he above the water line.

. Cr Marlow assured Cr Begg that the new site would be above the level of the dam. When the dam was full the water covered the present school grounds. The council was honouring an agreement by shifting the school. The report was adopted.