Hon Hekia Parata

Minister of Education

Hon Nikki Kaye

Associate Minister of Education

26 May 2016

$882.5m investment in school property

Budget 2016 provides $882.5 million for school property, comprising $727.3 million of capital funding and $155.2 million of operating funding over the next four years, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye say.

“The package provides for growth across New Zealand, as well as investment in public private partnerships and significant investment in Canterbury. It will provide nine new schools, 480 new classrooms, two school expansions and the relocation and rebuilding of three schools and a kura.”

A core part of the package focuses on growth and provides $270.6 million of new capital funding and $80.3 million of new operating funding over the next four years. This will fund:

• Two new schools.

• 480 new classrooms.

• Two school expansions.

• The rebuild of a kura kaupapa Māori.

“This is a huge investment across New Zealand to ensure communities have better facilities for students and teachers, and the classrooms and schools needed to meet growing populations,” Ms Parata says.

In addition, seven new schools and three school rebuilds and relocations will be delivered via public private partnerships.

“PPPs are a focus of the education property portfolio because they provide significant savings which can be reinvested in the portfolio. Budget 2016 confirms $328.9 million of capital funding and $20.2 million of operating funding over the next four years for PPPs.”

Ms Kaye says the Budget addresses growth across New Zealand but there’s a particular focus on Auckland, where the Government is acting now to get ahead of demand driven by the rapidly increasing population.

“A significant proportion of the new classrooms will be in Auckland, but many other cities and towns will benefit from this investment. We’ll be making announcements that provide more detail over the coming months.”

Ms Parata says the Budget provides $127.8 million of capital funding and $40.7 million of operating funding over the next four years for the Christchurch schools rebuild programme.

“To date, seven schools have been completed, 10 are in construction, 21 are in design, and nine are in the planning stage. The programme is on track to rebuild these schools.”

“The Budget also allocates $6 million of additional spending on seismic strengthening for state-integrated schools in Christchurch. This is about ensuring that schools damaged by the earthquakes can be strengthened for the future.”

Ms Kaye says Budget 2016 also includes $8 million of operational funding in 2016/17 for the Ministry of Education’s specialised property team.

“This will enable the team to deliver these new initiatives and education infrastructure services,” Ms Kaye says.

“By mid 2017 we will have invested almost $5 billion in school property since we came into government.

“This is significantly more than the previous government, and ensures we have better facilities for students and teachers,” Ms Kaye says.

“Budget 2016 shows we’re committed to providing the best education we can in innovative, stimulating and safe school environments,” Ms Parata says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media