New $16m school for Wanaka announced
A new $16 million primary school with the potential to cater for 800 pupils will be built in Wanaka.
Education Minister Nikki Kaye made the announcement on Sunday as part of the Government’s $456.5m Budget commitment to education infrastructure.
The school will be built in two stages to cater for 400 pupils with the first stage expected to be open in 2019 and the second in 2020.
A third stage is possible within 10 years should Wanaka’s school rolls continue to grow enabling the new school to educate up to 800 pupils, Kaye said.
An Education Ministry spokesman said no details could yet be released on where the new school site was in the Central Otago town.
‘‘The ministry is still in the process of acquiring the site,’’ he said.
Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult said Wanaka had long needed a new primary school and it was ‘‘great news’’ for the area.
‘‘I’m delighted that the Government continues to show its confidence in our district through investment.’’
Deputy mayor and Wanaka resident Calum MacLeod said it was a ‘‘shot in the arm’’ for the whole district and ‘‘well needed’’.
Wanaka’s only secondary school, Mt Aspiring College, was also set to benefit from the Budget announcement with six new classrooms to be added at a cost of $3m.
Mt Aspiring College Principal Wayne Bosley said he was ‘‘very happy’’ with the funding but expected more news in the next month which would ’’futureproof’’ the college.
‘‘We’re really, really thankful for the extra classroom space [but] we see it as stage one,’’ Bosley said. ‘‘We will be placing it on top of a campus redevelopment that we have been working with the ministry on.’’
A Ministry of Education report earlier revealed the college was ‘‘overcrowded’’ and was at 103 per cent capacity, 18 per cent above the what it deemed appropriate.
‘‘This is about ensuring we can future-proof for growth in Wanaka and give certainty to the community about education provision for many years to come,’’ Kaye said.
‘‘The Ministry of Education has worked with all schools in the wider Wanaka area and their communities over the past two years to develop a long-term plan to meet growth.
‘‘The advice has been that the best option is to establish a new primary school, and there will be a formal consultation process with the community over the coming months.’’
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean said she was pleased for local families and the education fraternity in Wanaka.
‘‘I do not want to see growth in Wanaka being stifled for young families because of a lack of educational facilities and believe this announcement addresses that issue.’’
The announcement also follows Kaye’s $1.4m pledge to Wanaka Primary School in February for the building of four new classrooms and $700,000 for two new classrooms at Mt Aspiring College last year.
Along with Wanaka Primary School and Mt Aspiring College the town - population about 7000 - has a catholic primary school, Holy Family School.
There are presently more than 1500 pupils in Wanaka schools.