By Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
The Government has announced $56.6 million in major school redevelopments, describing it as further good news for the education sector as part of its wider $2 billion investment in school infrastructure. Education Minister Erica Stanford and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say the funding will address long‑standing property issues and deliver warm, safe, modern classrooms for thousands of students.
Stanford said the package will upgrade 52 teaching spaces across six schools, with work scheduled to begin within the next six months. “As Minister, I’m delighted that six schools will be receiving these major redevelopments, covering 52 teaching spaces up and down the country,” she said. “These projects are rolling out as part of the Government’s investment through Budget 24 and 25.”
She said the Government inherited a school property system “nearing crisis,” with schools left waiting years for promised upgrades that were never funded. “After years of undelivered promises and underinvestment by the previous Government, we have prioritised school infrastructure to get school communities the classrooms, upgrades, and maintenance work they have long waited for.”
Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said the Government has significantly increased funding for school maintenance, adding $880 million across Budgets 2024 and 2025—more than double the increases of the previous six years combined. He said the shift to offsite‑manufactured builds and repeatable designs has reduced costs and sped up delivery.
“We delivered 583 classrooms last year alone, 31 percent more than in 2023,” Bishop said. “That means more classrooms, delivered faster, providing better learning environments for our kids and better value for taxpayers.”
Bishop said the latest round of redevelopments reflects the Government’s commitment to reversing decades of underinvestment. “We’re a Government that’s both funding and delivering the classrooms that our teachers and students deserve.”
Schools receiving redevelopment funding
- Kerikeri High School (Northland): 12 replacement classrooms
- Pinehill School, Browns Bay (Auckland): 3 replacement classrooms
- Hutt Intermediate (Wellington): 14 replacement classrooms
- Natone Park School (Wellington): 7 replacement classrooms and new administration space
- Ashburton Intermediate (Canterbury): 8 replacement classrooms
- Maruawai College (Southland): 8 replacement specialist classrooms
The Government says construction planning is underway, with work expected to begin before the end of the year.