Te Rangihīroa College had a rocky start at the beginning of the year, flooding mere 24 hours into its first full-time residents moving in. It has now been alleged to Critic Te Ārohi by multiple sources that the flooding was the first of other issues. The hall, which is the University’s first purpose-built residential college in 55 years, recently won an award for the building. But with rumours of disbelief among some at the news, residents would be forgiven for wondering whether their $500 per week fees offer bang for their buck. Critic reports.
Te Rangihīroa College has “issues from top to bottom,” one source told Critic Te Ārohi. While they did not go into detail about what these issues were, they, alongside “senior staff members,” had apparently found it “funny” that the college had received an award for the building’s quality in June.
The award Te Rangihīroa College received was the Excellence Award for a Multi-Unit Residential Property at the Property Industry Awards. The Property Council of New Zealand on their website describes the awards as: “The best of the best; projects that provide an outstanding return or delivery of service potential on investment of funds, creating value for owners, tenants and the wider community.” It seems to imply that welcoming 450 more freshers to live in North D is creating value for the community – and Critic concurs, they’re sweeties.
Yet there were reportedly issues even before residents had moved into the college. A cohort from a science camp were hosted at the college for a week in late-January at the same time as another group of international students. One source claimed that staff members were not made aware of this, allegedly meaning catering did not have enough food to feed all of its students. In a statement to Critic, Campus and Collegiate Life Services Director James Lindsay refuted this, saying that “all staff were aware of both groups, including our catering team, to ensure proper coordination and service.”
Just over three weeks later, the college flooded a mere 24-hours after move-in day, causing sixteen residents to be temporarily relocated on just their second night at the college. Critic reporters who happened to be in the dining hall (for a since controversial hall food review) took a photo of water-damaged ceiling tiles, with diners relocated outside lest their food be dripped on.
Most recently, Critic received reports that the college was evacuated for up to an hour (it was actually half an hour) after fire alarms went off during the Friday of Re-O Week. In a devastating move for the freshers, many students were left without their boxes during this time. Critic offers our condolences for the pre-drinks that will have been disrupted for Castle Street’s Tradies and Schoolgirls host that night. Students claim that they were never made aware of the reason for their evacuation from the college although one student heard a toaster may have been the culprit.
Lindsay confirmed to Critic that it was in fact “popcorn being cooked for too long in a microwave setting off smoke alarms – [which] was later discussed at a full college hui.” Clearly, it was a well-attended hui. “The Fire Service was called and students were allowed back into the building within 30 minutes,” said Lindsay.
Other claims against the college came from one worker involved in the exterior work of the college. He told Critic that the tiles of the college were laid poorly in his opinion, making his job “a lot more difficult” when having to stone blast artwork onto it. In response, Lindsay said, “The University’s Property and Campus Development Division has not experienced or been made aware of any issues with the exterior pavers and stone blasting. Nor have they received any concerns from our contractor undertaking the stone blast work.”
Critic sought the opinion of some who’ve stayed at the college, which has been positive for the most part. Zainaa, a student who stayed at the college during Hands-On at Otago – the College’s first time housing residents – thought that the hall experience “low-key ate”. The only issues according to her were the windows in the disabled rooms, which were apparently difficult to work. “Other than that it was quite good,” she said.
Fergus, a resident at the hall this year, said, “I mean, definitely for the most part the hall’s been great. It’s warm, the Kaiāwhina [sub-wardens] are good, [the] rooms are nice. If I’m honest, I’ve had a great time. I think that other than the flooding issue there haven’t really been any other issues that are continuous or the hall’s fault.”
Another student who’s stayed at the college (preferring to go unnamed) also had issues with the windows in his room. The latch to open their window had completely fallen off, with the student arguing that “shitty sustainable glue” was to blame. Not a greenie, then. A fire door on his floor was partially broken as well, apparently being held together with masking tape. For the price, however, he reckoned the college was “really worth the money.”
Fees this year for Te Rangihīroa College start at $19,266, and are set to rise to $19,988 for 2025. Ensuite rooms and a compulsory activity fee raise this price even further. Weekly fees are above $500 for the 38-week residency period which, while standard for all University-owned residential colleges, is hundreds of dollars pricier than the living costs of an average student flat in Dunners. Worth it for toast-time, though.
Lindsay said in his statement to Critic responding to the list of claims made about the college, “Opening a large, new residential college is a complex undertaking. However, welcoming 450 students into our newest residential college, Te Rangihīroa, has been overwhelmingly positive. The University is proud to have delivered a high-quality building which meets the New Zealand excellence in Green Star Rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council. While we acknowledge that any major building project may encounter minor issues, we are confident Te Rangihīroa meets high standards. It has been recognised by industry bodies for its excellence.”