12/11/2024
Duncan Jones
[FYI request #25988 email]
Tēnā koe Duncan
OIA: 1324169 – Decision to build an additional teaching block at Rolleston College
Thank you for your email of 4 March 2024 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry), for the
following information:
1. Can I please request all information relating to the decision to build the additional
permanent two storey teaching block at Rolleston College (currently under construction
on the Goulds Road side of the college).
2. Please provide all correspondence, including emails between MOE staff, contractors
and Rolleston College BOT and/or management, relating to the building of the new
teaching block including any correspondence concerning decisions around when to
build the additional teaching block that was taken at the time Rolleston College was
initially built.
Thank you also for your email of 18 March 2024 in which you amended your request to be for the
following information:
Please provide all KEY correspondence relating to the building of the new teaching block.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
We apologise that it has taken longer than we would have hoped to release this information to you,
and appreciate that this delay will have been frustrating for you.
In 2014, the Ministry identified that Rolleston College (the College) should be built to accommodate
an initial roll of 1,100 students, with the expectation that it would in future need to accommodate up
to 1,800 students and may grow beyond this number. Construction on Stage 1, delivering 1,100
student places at the College, began in 2017 under the Public Private Partnership (PPP)
framework.
In 2018, the Ministry identified that the rate of residential redevelopment was occurring significantly
faster than anticipated, and that there was a need to deliver Stage 2, 700 additional student places
by 2021. As a consequence of the accelerated growth, a report was provided to the Minister of
Education, seeking approval to begin negotiations to expand a number of PPP schools, including
the second stage of the College.
Auckland Office, Level 3, 12-18 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024
Private Bag 92644, Symonds Street, Auckland 1149 Phone: +64 9 632 9400
The Ministry engaged the PPP Contractor through an amended existing contract to design the
expansion of the school in 2020. The design was reviewed by a Design Assurance Panel
comprising Ministry staff and architects in 2021, and this endorsed the proposal to build a
two-storey, 28 teaching space block, including the site location.
The Ministry followed a process to seek funding for a number of PPP expansions, including the
College, through Budget 2020. In 2021, the Ministry confirmed the funding requirements and
instructed the PPP consortium to lead the funding and construction and ongoing facilities
maintenance, in line with the existing facility.
In 2023, a shortfall of funding was identified following construction tenders and negotiations with
the PPP Contractor to amend the existing contract. The Ministry sought endorsement from the
Ministers of Education and Finance to proceed with the project.
The Project Steering Group (PSG), comprising the Ministry, School, PPP Consortium and the build
contractor, met monthly and continue to do so. A copy of the PSG report and minutes relevant to
the date of your request is attached for your reference.
The expansion is due to complete later this year. In the interim, to support the need for additional
capacity, temporary classrooms have been provided until the new building is available.
We have interpreted your request to be for the key documents relating to the 2019 decision to
build, both leading to the decision and during the build. We have identified 17 documents in scope,
attached as
Appendix A and as outlined in the
Appendix A Document Table. The documents
relate to key decisions for the need to expand the existing College site and financial approvals,
which are separate to the development of a second campus for the College. We have not
considered any design documentation to be within scope of this request.
I am withholding some information from these documents under section 9(2)(a) of the Act, to
protect the privacy of natural persons and section 9(2)(j) of the Act, to enable a Minister of the
Crown or any public service agency or organisation holding the information to carry on, without
prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations).
As required under section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered the public interest in releasing the
information withheld. I do not consider the public interest considerations favouring the release of
this information are sufficient to outweigh the need to withhold it at this time.
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days. Your name and
contact details will be removed.
OIA: 1324169
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review our 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 and Digital
OIA: 1324169
Appendix A Document Table
#
Date
Title
Decision on release
1
15 May 2014
Memo: Rolleston Secondary School –
Release in part. Information
Recommended school size
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
2 July
2018 Secondary School Provision in
Release in full.
Rolleston July 2018
3 2
November PPP expansion options analysis
Withhold in full. Information
2018
has been withheld under
section 9(2)(j) of the Act.
4
29 April 2019
Education Report: 1182996:
Release in part. Information
Managing roll growth at existing PPP
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
schools
of the Act.
5 August
2019
Rolleston College PRF
Release in part. Information
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
6 10
September
Email: Rolleston College Roll Growth
Release in part. Information
2019
Expansion
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
7 27
September
Memo: Rolleston Secondary
Release in full.
2019
Provision: Rolleston College and the
second secondary provision
8 21
February CN 123 - Future Schools Partnership
Withhold in full. Information
2020
– early design engagement
has been withheld under
section 9(2)(j) of the Act.
9 25
August CN 129 - Rolleston College expansion
Withhold in full. Information
2020
procurement documentation
has been withheld under
section 9(2)(j) of the Act.
10
21 July 2021
Design Review Panel Report
Release in part. Information
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
11 August
2021 Rolleston College Business Case
Release in part. Information
(PPP) Midway IB
withheld under sections 9(2)(a)
and 9(2)(j) of the Act.
12 13
September
CN144 – Rolleston Procurement
Withhold in full. Information
2021
(Executed)
has been withheld under
section 9(2)(j) of the Act.
OIA: 1324169
#
Date
Title
Decision on release
13
15 June 2022 Email: Re: Meeting with Contractors
Release in part. Information
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
14 15
March
Title withheld under section 9(2)(j) of
Withhold in full. Information
2023
the Act.
withheld under section 9(2)(j)
of the Act.
15 17
March
Education Report: 1306911:
Release in part. Information
2023
Progressing the expansion of
withheld under sections 9(2)(a)
Rolleston College
and 9(2)(j) of the Act.
16
New Zealand Schools 2: Rolleston
Release in part. Information
College Expansion: Future Schools
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
expansion works provisioning report
of the Act.
for PCG and PSG (March 2024)
17 19
March
Rolleston College Expansion PSG
Release in part. Information
2024
meeting
withheld under section 9(2)(a)
of the Act.
OIA: 1324169
