27/03/2024
Marcus Cook
[FYI request #25629 email]
Tēnā koe Marcus
OIA: 1322372 - Historical timeline of acquisition of new school sites
Thank you for your email of 5 February 2024 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting
the following information:
1. Please provide the following information for the ten most recent newbuild school
development projects. These can be anonymised if required.
Please note this information is required where land is acquired from a private owner for the
purpose of building a new school, not where the land is already owned by you, another
Ministry, or local Government.
a. Region/Area - general area is OK if this could disclose private data.
b. Type of school (i.e. primary or secondary).
c. Month and year that negotiations with land owner commenced.
d. Month and year that negotiations with land owner concluded - and whether the PWA was
invoked to acquire the land.
2. Please also advise month and year that negotiations with the landowner for the proposed
new "Kumeu College" site commenced.
Your request has been considered under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act).
In response to
part one of your request, I am providing to you a table outlining the ten most recent
new build school developments that have opened across New Zealand as
Appendix A below this
letter, please refer to the notes below the table.
Land purchase for the Crown is facilitated under the Public Works Act 1981 (PWA). There are
sections in the PWA that facilitate “Acquisition by agreement” (section 17) and sections that
facilitate “Compulsory acquisition of land” (section 23). Each of the school developments in the
below list were acquired under acquisition by agreement, section 17 of the PWA.
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wel ington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
In response to
part two of your request, the Ministry initiated negotiations for the Kumeū site in
February 2023. There are two sites that comprise the potential College site and negotiations with
the second landowner have not commenced.
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days. Your name and
contact details wil be removed.
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my decision
on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Sam Fowler
Head of Property
Te Pou Hanganga, Matihiko | Infrastructure & Digital
OIA: 1322372
Appendix A:
School
Region
Type of School
Month and year
Month and year
Was PWA “evoked"?
School
that negotiations
that negotiations
Opened
with landowner
with landowner
commenced
concluded
Pūtahi – Belfast School
Canterbury
Year 5-8
August 2017
October 2018
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2024
(Senior Campus of
Section 17 PWA
Pūtahi - Belfast Primary)
Ahutoetoe School
Auckland (North Contributing Primary
February 2018
May 2019
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2023
West)
(Year 1-6)
Section 17 PWA
Nukumea Primary School - Te
Auckland (North) Contributing Primary
August 2017
May 2018
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2023
Kura Tuatahi O Nukumea
(Year 1-6)
Section 17 PWA
Mangapikopiko
Auckland
Contributing Primary
January 2017
April 2018
Acquisition by agreement
Term 3 2022
(South)
(Year 1-6)
Section 17 PWA
Te Rōhutu Whio
Canterbury
Full Primary (Year 1-8)
October 2018
June 2019
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2022
Section 17 PWA
Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau Otago
Full Primary (Year 1-8)
October 2017
December 2018
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2022
Section 17 PWA
Ngākōroa School
Auckland
Full Primary (Year 1-8)
September 2017
October 2018
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2022
(South)
Section 17 PWA
Tamaoho School
Auckland
Contributing Primary
June 2009
March 2011
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2021
(South)
(Year 1-6)
Section 17 PWA
Te Matauru Primary
Canterbury
Full Primary (Year 1-8)
May 2013
December 2013
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2020
Section 17 PWA
Te Kura O Take Kārara
Otago
Contributing Primary
February 2017
December 2017
Acquisition by agreement
Term 1 2020
(Year 1-6)
Section 17 PWA
The information in Appendix A should be read in conjunction with the following notes:
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wel ington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
1. The table only indicates new schools that are located on land purchased from a private owner. For completeness, the land for Scott
Point Primary (opened in 2021) was purchased from Auckland Council and the land for Te Manawa ō Pāpāmoa School (opened
2022) was purchased from the New Zealand Transport Agency.
2. Regarding month and year that negotiations with landowner commenced, the date is in this column is based on either:
a. when a formal introductory letter is sent from the Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) accredited supplier (engaged by the
Ministry) to the landowner of the land
b. when formal negotiations are confirmed to the landowner through email or recorded meeting notes from the LINZ accredited
supplier.
c. Informal discussions often take place prior to the formal negotiations commencing. The initial date of these informal discussions
is difficult to confirm.
3. Regarding month and year that negotiations with landowner concluded, the date in this column is based on the date of settlement, i.e.
money was paid to the landowner.
4. For your convenience, we have added a column indicating the opening date of each school.
5. The opening composition of the school is not always known at the time of acquisition. For example, the decision for the site in Belfast
to be used as a senior school for years 5-8 as part of Pūtahi – Belfast School was made after the site was purchased.
6. Mangapikopiko is a relocation and renaming of Park Estate school.
7. Al of the schools listed are English medium state schools. Te Rōhutu Whio also has bi-lingual provision.
OIA: 1322372
