EIT | Te Pūkenga Executive Director Glen Harkness (left) with Te Pūkenga Deputy Chief Executive Officer Ako Delivery Gus Gilmore at the Hawke’s Bay campus in Taradale.
Parts of EIT | Te Pūkenga Hawke’s Bay campus have reopened today for delivery to ākonga (learners) in time for the start of Semester 2.
EIT | Te Pūkenga Executive Director Glen Harkness says it is a significant step forward in the building programme.
“This is the first return to campus for teaching since we closed on February 14. A lot of hard work has gone in to get us to this point and we are pleased that several of our programmes requiring specialist facilities have now moved back on campus.”
“It is a big day for us and for the community as it is the first step on the road to us returning to normal.”
Cyclone Gabrielle caused extensive damage to the Taradale site in February when the nearby Tutaekuri River rose inundating most buildings with flood water and contaminated silt.
A karakia, led by EIT | Te Pūkenga Kaumātua Matiu Eru, was held early this morning (July 17) with a number of kaimahi and guests attending.
The specialist spaces being reopened account for about 30 per cent of the campus. They include veterinarian nursing, nursing, viticulture, wine science, some creative disciplines, plumbing, automotive and mechanical engineering.
“Those buildings have limited damage and are easy to repair. They also give us access to specialist spaces for teaching that we couldn’t readily access in the community.
“It means we can continue largely with our delivery as planned. So, it’s a massive step in the right direction,” Mr Harkness says.
About 45 sites across Hawke’s Bay are currently operating as part of the EIT | Te Pūkenga extended campus.
A building programme is currently under way to restore damaged facilities, with a plan to have almost all programmes return to campus by early 2024.
EIT is now part of the Te Pūkenga network. EIT has been able to use the resources of the Te Pūkenga network to support the recovery of the Hawke’s Bay campus.