$20m fix announced for school’s leaky buildings
Students of Auckland’s Botany Downs Secondary College will see leaky buildings fixed after the Government announced $20 million will be spent on repairs.
It’s the first in a series of school-related cash announcements Education Minister Chris Hipkins is expected to make in coming weeks which he said would help schools tipped for student population growth.
Hipkins visited the decile 9 secondary school yesterday where he said the millions would pay to fix weather tightness problems across the school.
Work on the Auckland school was expected to be rolled out over ‘‘several years’’.
Temporary teaching spaces would be brought in for students while work was completed ‘‘to ensure student learning is not disrupted’’.
The school’s roof would be replaced and cladding work would be done on 70 of the school’s 84 teaching spaces.
Hipkins said the school’s 1800-plus students would have warm, dry classrooms once work to rectify problems was completed. ‘‘Students learn best in high-quality classrooms.’’
Schools around the country had been neglected and ‘‘patched up’’ in recent years, he added.
‘‘That is not fair on the students or teachers and needs to change.’’
Hawkins Construction North Island Ltd built Botany Downs Secondary College in stages between 2003 and 2009.
In 2018, it was found liable for negligence in its construction of the buildings and was ordered to pay the Ministry of Education $13.4 million.