Businesses help get project finished
Te Puke High School’s artificial turf now protected thanks to local companies Weekly glass collection added over busy summer holiday period
Students and staff are celebrating the latest property development of Te Puke High School. The school’s outdoor basketball court has been transformed into an artificial turf where a number of sports can be played including basketball, netball, volleyball and futsal. The outdoor space has been covered with an all-weather canopy.
The school used School Investment Package (SIP) funding given to most state schools to accelerate property upgrade work.
Principal Alan Liddle says the project encountered some barriers caused by Covid-19 lockdowns and significant increases in the price of steel. As a result, there was a shortfall in funding to install bollards to finish the project.
This summer in Pukehina, Western Bay of Plenty District Council is putting on extra glass collections over the peak holiday period.
From December 23 to January 6, weekly glass collections will take place at all Pukehina properties receiving the council’s kerbside collective service.
The council’s solid waste contract manager, Tony Wilson, says at this time of year with guests frequently dropping by, there’s always a few
Hearing about the shortfall, Eastpack, Baygold and ACME Mechanical Services made contributions of materials, funding and engineering to allow the bollards to be installed to stop vehicles driving on to the turf.
“Support from local businesses to our local high school is always greatly appreciated,” says Alan.
Baygold CEO Carl Simmons says the company has a big staff with a lot of families whose children are at the school.
“So we just wanted to support local,” says.
Eastpack’s Washer Rd site manager Ben Davies echoed the thoughts.
“Te Puke High School is key to the area and we were keen to support the community,” he says.
The school is now looking into funding to purchase drop-down nets for the sides and ends of the canopy. extra glass empties.
“Beer, wine or kombucha — no matter your preference, there’s a good chance it’ll come in a recyclable glass bottle. At the peak of the summer holiday season blue recycling crates for glass can fill up fast.
“So we’re very proud to offer Pukehina residents weekly glass collections over the busy summer period to help them keep up their recycling habits, and bring their family, friends and guests along for the ride. It’s important everyone makes use of the service. If you let your glass pile up and overfill your crate, above the top lip, we won’t be able to empty it. Crates heaped with glass are very heavy, and a risk to the truck drivers who manually lift and sort the glass.”
Top tips for easy glass collections ■ Don’t overfill your glass crate (level with the lip of the crate is full). ■ Clean your empty glass containers before recycling them with lids off. ■ Put your blue crate on the kerb by 7am with your bins on collections day.
■ Broken glass, and extra bins or glass placed on the kerbside alongside the council-approved crate won’t be collected.
■ If people are renting your home, you can download a reminder for your fridge that tells guests what they need to do and when and also covering the basics of the pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) tag system for red lid bins.
“Our PAYT system is great because it rewards people for reducing waste to landfill but it’s different, and our visitors may not be familiar with the rules. They need to know that without the pre-purchased PAYT tag attached correctly, the red bin won’t be emptied.”
Tags can be bought at Pukehina Beach Store & Takeaway, 68 Pukehina Parade, Pukehina; Paengaroa Country Store, 5 Old Coach Rd; Paengaroa, Pongakawa BP, 1646 Te Puke E Rd, SH2, Pongakawa.