‘UNDER REVIEW’

to present the options to Minister Hipkins and then Cabinet by the middle of the year.’’

Until now, the co-located colleges were expected to be run using a public-private partnership model, but Shannon said the delivery model was yet to be decided.

Kaiko¯ ura MP, National’s Stuart Smith, said the news of the review would ‘‘only fuel’’ the community’s concerns about the project. It was ‘‘very disappointing’’ given several years of community consultation and ‘‘overwhelming public support’’, he said.

‘‘Staff, students and parents have poured their hearts into developing plans for the co-location of their schools and it would be a real shame for all their hard work to go to waste.’’

The Government should ‘‘put aside its contempt’’ for PPPS and allow the project to go ahead, Smith said. The Government allowed the $50m Wha¯nga¯rei Boys’ High School redevelopment to go ahead, he said.

‘‘Marlborough Boys’ and Girls’ colleges deserve the same treatment.’’ Smith, National’s associate education spokesman Simeon Brown and former education minister Nikki Kaye planned to host a public meeting on May 6 at 4.30pm, at a venue yet to be decided. ‘‘We want to hear from the community their thoughts on the review and the best way forward,’’ Smith said. Plans to co-locate Blenheim’s colleges ‘under review’.

‘‘Before you know it $63m will be wasted going around in circles.’’ ‘‘Good show. Let’s get some commonsense back into the equation.’’