19 June 2002
Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) Steve Maharey, and Rimutaka MP Paul Swain announced today that the
Heretaunga campus, located in Upper Hutt, is to become a multi-campus education facility for the education of
international students.
The Heretaunga campus will be renamed the New Zealand International Campus. An anchor tenancy has been negotiated with
Campus Group Holdings. Campus Group expects to have 1,000 international students on the campus within the next two years
but has estimated that the campus could climb beyond 5,000 in the longer term.
“The Government wants to talk with prospective tenants that are willing to take up the challenge of making the New
Zealand International Campus a success,” said Steve Maharey.
“The size and nature of the campus lends itself to having more than one tertiary provider on it. In addition to Campus
Group Holdings a cluster of local tertiary providers had earlier expressed interest in teaching international students
on the campus and the model agreed between Campus Group and the Government provides plenty of scope and potential for
other tertiary education providers to come onto the campus.
“The international student market is strategically important. The New Zealand International Campus is well placed to
play a role in growing the attractiveness of New Zealand as a destination for international students. International
students currently contribute more than $1 billion annually to the New Zealand economy and the government wants to grow
this contribution in a sustainable way,” Steve Maharey said.
Rimutaka MP Paul Swain said his aim was to ensure that the Heretaunga campus, which is a valuable Crown asset, is put to
good use.
“Securing a sustainable long-term future use for the campus was an important issue for Upper Hutt.
“I am delighted that a win-win outcome has been achieved for both the city and the government. Developing the campus
into a facility for the education of international students provides a positive strategic focus for the continuing
economic development of Upper Hutt,” Paul Swain said.
The Heretaunga campus was vacated by the Wellington Institute of Technology on 28 February 2002, following it merger
with the Central Institute of Technology in July last year. Campus Group Holdings have been operating on the campus, in
a trial mode, teaching English to students from Chosun University, Korea, since March 2002. The detail of the lease with
Campus Group will include that, as its focus is solely on international students, it will not be eligible for government
funding to educate New Zealand students.
Ends