Students to film progress on Kopu Bridge

Local schools have been invited to enter a Kopu Bridge School Video Competition, which includes the opportunity to film work on the bridge construction site.

The winning school will win a Panasonic high definition video camera valued at $1200, with MP3 players for the winning students. The winning video will be broadcast on Central TV.

The competition is a partnership between the NZTA, Brown’s 100% Appliances in Thames and regional broadcaster Central TV. The competition is open to teams of Year 7 & 8 students from all schools in the Hauraki and Thames Coromandel Districts.

NZ Transport Agency Project Services Manager Bryce Carter said the NZTA organised the competition in response to enquiries from local schools wanting to be involved with the project.

“Public interest in the project is extremely high, and this is one way we can involve the local community.”

Entrants will first be asked to submit a brief outline of their creative ideas and approach by 10 June. Three finalists will be chosen from these proposals. The finalists will be asked to produce a 3-minute TV news item, with students acting as TV presenters and producers.

“For safety reasons, we can only accommodate three student teams filming on the construction site,” Mr Carter said.

The finalists will work with staff from the NZTA and Central TV to fine-tune their plans, and will have three months to make their video. The winner will be announced in late September this year.

For more information on the NZTA School Video Competition, email Project Communications Advisor Grant Hubbard: grant.hubbard@nzta.govt.nz

Construction of the $47m two-lane Kopu Bridge was brought forward in 2009 as part of the Government’s $500m Jobs and Growth Plan. It replaces the existing one-lane bridge build in 1928. Once completed, the new 580m-long bridge will reduce traveling times for all bridge users.

The Kopu Bridge Replacement project is on target for completion by mid 2012.