April 20, 2004
Media Release –For Immediate Release
New School Welcomed By Mayor
Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey has welcomed plans for a major new school in Hobsonville.
While the Sunderland Education Trust is still to receive resource consent for the development, Mayor Harvey says it is
an exciting proposition in one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
The private school will cater for up to 120 pre-schoolers, 400 primary school students (year 1 to year 6), and 1000
secondary students. It is hoped it will open next year (February 2005).
The Sunderland campus will be on Brigham Creek Road, next to the proposed new Hobsonville motorway.
“The location is perfect. Not only will it service families from Waitakere but also people on the North Shore and in
Rodney,” Mayor Harvey says.
“The whole of the north-western sector of the City is opening up for development and with that comes the need for
schools, parks, hospitals and so on. I’m delighted that the Sunderland Trust has seen the potential in Waitakere.”
Mayor Harvey also says that the 150 staff expected to work at the school will be an excellent boost to the local
economy. “Schools are hugely important for their education and social aspects, but we can’t under-estimate the positive
impact of 150 new jobs either,” he says.
School spokesman Alex Findlay says: “We have been wanting to establish Sunderland for several years, but have had real
difficulty in finding a suitable site. We are delighted with the one we have found. It is ideally located to serve a
wide catchment area, and is readily accessible from any direction. It also offers the space for us to establish a
beautiful learning environment.”
The principals of the Sunderland College Trust have previously established new independent colleges at Karaka and Gulf
Harbour.
ENDS