South Waikato Mayor Condemns Decision To Close Local Education Provider
Petley said news of the trades training centre closing at the end of the year was a huge blow to a community that already ranks among the five-most deprived in New Zealand, and which has one of the highest Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) rates recorded nationally.
'This is a short-sighted and lazy decision driven by Te Pūkenga's (the national network for all the country's 25 polytechnics) need to find $9m in savings. They are taking the easy way out, rather than finding other ways to achieve operational savings and to become sustainable, and it's come at the detriment of the people of South Waikato.
"As it stands, our data from the recent Long Term Plan shows 23 percent of the 15-24 age bracket in our District fall under the category of not currently being employed or in the education or training system.
'There is no shortage of research and evidence that tells us a critical factor in efforts to lift people out of those statistical categories, and out of deprivation, is to invest in education.
'My Council has made a strong commitment through its Long Term Plan 2024-2034 to have all our young people either working or in employment, and that remains a non-negotiable if we are to improve the lives of people in our community.'
Without the presence of a local training provider, people in the District face the prospect of travelling an hour or more to a campus in Rotorua, Tauranga or Hamilton, with limited public transport options currently available to those regional centres.
In addition to the concerns around a lack of education opportunities, Petley said the Toi-Ohomai closure would have an immediate restraining impact on a local economy already reeling from the recent loss of around 150 jobs at the Kinleith Paper Mill.
The District had nearly double the New Zealand average unemployment rate from March 2022 to March 2023.
'This will impact existing businesses here and businesses looking to relocate to the District, which would create new jobs. It was a big selling point that we had a campus here for trades training,' Petley said.
'By removing this critical service, you are condemning South Waikato people to another generation of poverty.'
Mayor Petley said he will be using his strong relationship with local MP Louise Upston, who is also the Minister for Social Development and Employment, to elevate his concerns, while work was already underway to see what Council can do to fill the void internally through existing initiatives like the WORKit Programme
More information on the demographic profile of the South Waikato District, its challenging levels of deprivation and statistics relating to this can be found here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Auckland local election battle heats up with new candidates revealed
Auckland City Council building Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski Some high-profile candidates are putting themselves up for important roles in Auckland's local elections. Several wards were already set to be hotly contested ahead of candidate nominations closing on Friday at noon. This week, Mayor Wayne Brown announced two Hibiscus and Bays Local Board members, Victoria Short and Gary Brown, would contest the current Albany Ward councillors on his Fix Auckland ticket. Gary Brown ran against Wayne Brown in the 2022 mayoral race. The mayor had previously clashed with Albany councillors John Watson and Wayne Walker. In June, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson announced she would stand again for the Ōrākei Ward, this time under Fix Auckland instead of Communities and Residents (C&R). With the right-leaning local government party C&R ticket, former mayor Christine Fletcher would be campaigning to retain her seat as one of two Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa Ward Councillors, along with Puketāpapa Local Board member Mark Pervan. Among the candidates they would be up against were current councillor for the area Julie Fairey and Puketāpapa Board member Jon Turner from the left-leaning City Vision ticket . The Puketāpapa Local Board had recently been in the news over its controversial decision to remove an off-leash area at a popular Auckland dog park . Also on the C&R ticket were school teacher and former local board member Tabetha Elliot for the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Ward, and Malcom Turner for the Manukau Ward. Turner came in third behind the area's current councillors, Alf Filipaina and Lotu Fuli, in the 2022 elections. Filipaina and Fuli confirmed they would be seeking re-election to represent Manukau on the Labour Party ticket. Current councillor Shane Henderson and Jess Rose would campaign for the Waitākere Ward under the left-leaning Future West banner. The other sitting Waitākere Councillor Ken Turner would be going up against them, along with India New Zealand Business Council general manager Sunil Kaushal under the Westwards banner. Wayne Brown and Desley Simpson. Photo: RNZ / Jessica Hopkins ACT had also thrown its hat in the ring , announcing eight Auckland candidates under the ACT Local banner this week. Barrister and solicitor, and Hibiscus and Bays Board member Samuel Mills would be ACT's Albany council candidate. Real estate agent Henrietta Devoe was selected as ACT Local's Manukau Ward candidate. There were also several hopefuls going for two Howick Ward councillor positions: current councillor Maurice Williamson, the owner of Times Media Bo Burns, ACT Local's Ali Dache, and controversial former MP Jamie-Lee Ross. Vote Auckland was expected to publish a preliminary list of all candidates on Friday evening. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Southland mayoral candidate berates CEO, brags about sporting accomplishments at meeting
Wendy Baker is upset at the council over a letter she received — the contents of which remain a secret. Photo: LDR / Supplied A Southland mayoral hopeful has taken shots at a council chief executive during a fiery public speech. On Wednesday, Wendy Baker presented to district councillors about the council's dog control policy and bylaw review. But her presentation began on an unrelated note when she read out a letter she had received from the minister of sports and recreation about her sporting accomplishments. "I wanted to bring that up because it's a positive letter of praise. And unfortunately, just recently, your CEO - who is extremely well-paid - sent me a letter which was very upsetting to me," Baker said. "This letter as you all know has gone to the ombudsman. A leader needs to build people up, and I will not be bullied when I do amazing amounts of volunteer work which your council ignores formally, I feel." Baker would not divulge the contents of the chief executive's letter, but confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting it was not related to the minister's letter. The letter was out of the blue, unnecessary and untimely, she said. "They should be praising the work I do and not sending a letter that upsets me." In response to questions, council chief executive Cameron McIntosh was tight lipped. "We have raised some matters with Baker. They are between council and Baker," he said. "We will leave it with Baker to decide if she wishes to share the contents of the letter with media." Baker's presentation also took aim at the council over a perceived lack of dog control. She said a dog had come onto her property twice in three weeks - once on the eve of Anzac Day attacking a possum and once attacking a back fence at 4am in the morning. "I pay $4099.50 in rates to SDC... and what do I get for it? Stuff all." Baker said she had begun watching a programme called Mastering Leadership: Common Canine Misbehaviours, and planned to donate it to animal control staff or the library. The mayoral hopeful is one of three candidates currently in the running for the top job this October. At the 2022 election, she finished last out of six candidates with 211 votes. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Scoop
Too Quick And Too Easy, Consumer Falls Victim To Online Loan Scam
A suspected scam involving a fake online loan provider has come to light following a complaint lodged with the Consumer Council of Fiji, raising concerns about online deceptive financial schemes designed to defraud vulnerable consumers. In this case, the complainant was misled over a two-week period by an entity operating on social media, under the name Quick and Easy, which promised fast loan approval and immediate disbursement upon payment of certain fees. The complainant was presented with what appeared to be formal loan contracts and was assured that the loan had already been approved. However, the page claimed that various banking issues were preventing the funds from being released. To resolve these supposed issues, the consumer was instructed to make a series of payments labelled as processing fees and penalties. In total, the complainant paid $1,800. Despite complying with every instruction, the loan was never delivered, and when the complainant informed the provider that a formal complaint had been lodged, all communication ceased and the scammers phone has since remained switched off. The Council has referred this matter to the Fiji Police Force for further investigation. 'We are urging all consumers to exercise extreme caution when dealing with online lenders, or social media pages which promise loans and demand payments before any service is delivered,' said Ms. Shandil. 'The red flag was there from the beginning. Being asked to pay $1,800 just to secure a loan is not only highly suspicious, it's completely unacceptable. Which legitimate bank or licensed lender demands such a sum upfront before even disbursing funds? This clearly highlights the urgent need for improved digital and financial literacy among Fijian consumers.' 'Scammers exploit what people don't know, and we must collectively work to close that knowledge gap. No genuine financial institution operates this way, and consumers must know the warning signs before it's too late,' added Ms Shandil. She further stressed that while the Council can assist in mediating disputes and advocating for consumer rights, matters involving suspected online fraud fall outside its jurisdiction. 'In such cases, we work closely with law enforcement agencies and refer matters for criminal investigation. Consumers must know that if something feels wrong or rushed, it's worth slowing down and verifying first,' she added. Consumers who encounter similar schemes are encouraged to report the matter to the Council via email at complaints@ or by calling the toll-free number 155.
