Student accommodation officially opened

The brand new $26.2 million student accomodation village Te Ohanga was officially opened at Massey University’s Auckland campus on Friday by former student and current Minister for Social Housing Paula Bennett.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says it was a great honour to have Ms Bennett attend the ceremony.

“Paula is a great example of what a good education can do for you. She came to study here at the Auckland campus, and she had a vision of where she wanted to be. It’s really inspiring to see all the students living here on campus carrying on their own visions for their future.”

Ms Bennett was the first female student president of the Albany Students’ Association and was instrumental in getting the daycare centre set up on campus. She said she learned how to be political while studying at Massey University and remembers her time as a student fondly.

Master of ceremonies Michele A’Court kept the ceremony light and full of laughter as she thanked all those attending. Two residents, Sabreena Beetham and Christian Balachandran spoke about their experiences living on campus and making the most of the opportunities in front of them. Ms Beetham mentioned the

close proximity to the recreation centre and the library, while Mr Balachandran, an international student from Malaysia, talked about adjusting to a new way of life in New Zealand.

Albany Students’ Association president Byron Brooks also addressed the crowd, with a few engineering facts on the construction of the project. He says the student accommodation village is at the heart of the campus, and the students are its beating pulse.

Te Ohanga is the single biggest construction project on the Auckland campus to date, and has a total floor area of 6,900 square metres. It consists of three halls of residence and fourteen five-bedroomed apartments. There are also 12 studio apartments, making a total of 292 beds available.

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