A small Northland town in the Hokianga is gearing up to fight a proposal to shut down the Rawene Polytech.
Northtec wants to close down campuses in Rawene and Kerikeri as part of a restructure that will include cutting down on courses and around 50 jobs.
Neither local politicians, residents or students are happy about the closure, saying Rawene Polytech has helped provide prosperity to the settlement of Rawene for two decades.
"It's created a lot of opportunities for people that don't normally have opportunities, in the Hokianga there's a high unemployment rate," Hokianga community board member Louis Toorenburg says.
Repzzy is one of 29 students at the Rawene campus.
She's just finished painting and decorating the court house, the local church and the community centre.
"Northtech shutting down 'hello', just lost jobs, just lost jobs, and it's a job opportunity isn't it," Repezzy says.
Northtec says it's looked at demand for the courses, and funding.
But locals say it's ironic given the new government's push for regional development.
"A small community like Rawene is really isolated and relies on people having jobs and transport and transport to other campuses over an hour away is really difficult for people economically and practically," Tertiary Education Union’s Chan Dixon says.
Northtec also helps its students out in other ways, with transport for example.
A van carries students to and from their classes.
"My car's not legal, it's not warranted and registered and you sort of have to get in there into the course," Repezzy says.
The government says it's committed to providing education in the regions and it will meet with the union.
Meanwhile there's mounting anger in Rawene.
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