Candidates split over Karori campus

Wellington City councillor Jo Coughlan wants ratepayers to stump up for Victoria University’s vacant Karori campus, but she is the only mayoral candidate who feels that way.

If elected mayor in October, Coughlan said she would urge city councillors to consider buying the land as a strategic asset for the community and Wellington City.

‘‘If we have the asset in the city’s control, then we create options for what Wellington may wish to do with this site.’’

But Wellington’s other mayoral candidates had mixed views on what to do with the complex, which was transferred to the university from the Government for $10 in 2014.

The site is now estimated to be worth more than $20 million.

The campus is home to 20 buildings, six netball and tennis courts, cricket nets, a gymnasium, a marae, a dance studio, a field and a 400-seat hall.

All of the mayoral candidates agreed the sporting facilities should be retained for community use, but Coughlan was the only one who said the council should buy the land.

Nick Leggett said the only way the council should be involved was through a public-private partnership to secure the sports and community facilities, then look at some sort of residential development for the rest.

‘‘The council has a role to play in preserving those facilities valued by the community, but the idea the council could write a cheque for $20m, if that is what it’s worth, isn’t realistic.’’

Nicola Young said the university should sell the rest of the complex, and she did not care who bought the complex or what it was used for.

But it would be ‘‘fiscally for council to buy it.

Justin Lester said the council could not afford to buy the complex. He supported consideration of having a coeducational school at the site.

‘‘We need accurate demographic irresponsible’’ projections so we can ascertain whether an additional school will be needed in the next 15 to 20 years.’’

Andy Foster agreed, saying that the population growth among secondary school-aged children was projected to grow by 60 per cent in the next 30 years. He said the council could buy some of the site, but not all of it.

Keith Johnson scoffed at the idea of building a secondary school, saying that Karori’s population growth would result in more elderly people - not more schoolaged residents - living in the hillside suburb.

‘‘The idea of reserving it for a secondary school is totally bonkers. Let Victoria University sell it, but they should give back part of their yield to the city, because they got it so cheap,’’ he added.

‘‘I’d like to see the site reserved for housing, particularly for young people and first-home buyers, and perhaps some reserved for social housing.’’

Helene Ritchie said building a secondary school in Karori made sense but using the site for housing was her preference.

That could be achieved by releasing funds for the proposed airport runway extension, which she was opposed to, she explained.

Johnny Overton could not be reached for comment.