New Churton Park School Welcomed

“Fantastic news”. That was the reaction today from the Churton Park Community Association to the announcement, by the Minister of Education, of a new school for the fast-growing suburb.

For several years now the local school has been under pressure with rising roll growth and limited land area for new classrooms. This announcement means that parents throughout the community can be assured of access to good quality local schooling in the future.

Churton Park now has a population approaching 5,000 and is one of the fastest growing suburbs of Wellington City.

Northern Suburbs Deserve More Attention

In the empty spaces of Stebbings Valley the ongoing growth of Wellington City is plain to see. One of Wellington's fastest growing suburbs - Churton Park - already has 4,000 residents. The local school roll has grown to such an extent that a new school will soon have to be built. However, in many ways it is the neglected suburb of Wellington. There are not yet any facilities which most suburbs take for granted. No community hall. No youth facilities. No local supermarket or coffee shop. No Sports Centre for it. No Community Board. The one road out of the suburb - Middleton Road - regularly comes to a peak-hour stand still on weekdays. A long-planned link road to the motorway has been stalled through a combination of RMA consent delays and Council funding squabbles. The City Council has a clear focus on areas south of Johnsonville - the so-called 'growth spine". Problem is the growth spine isn't growing. Trying to starve development in the north through lack of attention and investment is not a smart idea. If local residents in the northern suburbs feel neglected by their Council that may be because they have been. Let's hope 2009 is a year in which the Council rediscovers its long forgotten northern suburbs.