Members of the Hāwea community have arranged a public meeting following the revelation that the Ministry of Education may move Hāwea Flat School (HFS) to Lake Hāwea in the coming years.

Hāwea parent Anna van Riel has initiated the meeting, which will take place on June 27, to find out what the community wants.

The community’s wishes will then be presented to the ministry.

“This is the first step,” Anna told the Wānaka App. “We need to speak up as a community or else the Ministry of Education will think we’re happy with the decision.” 

She said her own discussions with other Hāwea and Hāwea Flat residents had shown that there were a lot of people with ideas for how the existing school site could accommodate growth into the future.

Anna believed school staff “have their hands tied” and she wants the community to be “empowered” to share its views.

There was an outpouring of support for the retention of the existing school on social media when news about the proposed relocation was shared online and Anna said she expects the meeting to be well-attended.

See also: Hāwea Flat School on the move?

The news of the ministry’s intentions to move HFS, which was established in 1881, shocked many residents including former principal Sue Heath. 

“Part of what makes Hāwea Flat so special is the current site and the history that goes with it,” Sue said. 

The school site includes hard courts, playing fields, a swimming pool, a meeting room funded by community donations and a community bike park. 

It’s also conveniently centred in the ‘school triangle’ between the Hāwea Kindergarten and the Hāwea Playgroup, with the Hāwea Flat Hall just across the road and a range of after school activities like karate and dance classes.

The Ministry of Education said it proposed to relocate the school to Lake Hāwea because Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) growth projections indicate that is where future growth will take place. 

Anna has booked the Hāwea Community Centre for the upcoming meeting, where she will facilitate the conversation.

The meeting will take place at 7pm on Monday June 27. Anyone interested in the future of HFS is invited to head along. 

PHOTO: Supplied