New buildings for Takapuna Grammar

Takapuna Grammar School will be able to begin a much needed programme of replacing its existing out-dated buildings, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today.

Helen Clark said during a visit to the school this afternoon, that Ministry of Education funding would enable Takapuna Grammar to replace buildings which currently house 23 classrooms.

"This property funding will provide much-needed, up-to-date facilities for technology, art, performing arts, music and student services," Helen Clark said.

"Our government is committed to high education standards across the board for young New Zealanders. Providing modern, up-to-date, enjoyable and safe learning environments is essential for students. As a government, we are also keen to ensure that schools are attractive, modern and well maintained assets for local communities.

"The building work will be staged over three years. The first stage, a performing arts centre, will provide specialist teaching spaces for dance and drama and complement the adjoining music suite."

The building programme will cost $9.2 million, funded out of the Ministry of Education's capital works programme for school property.

Of that $8.2 million will come from the Ministry of Education's fund for replacement buildings and $1 million will come from Takapuna Grammar's Five Year Property (5YP) fund.

This 5YP programme was established by the Labour-led government in 2000 to give boards of trustees a long-term, inflation adjusted budget so that they can plan work to modernise and address the health and safety needs of their property.

"Our government has made education a top priority for investment because we want to ensure that all New Zealanders have the opportunity to succeed," Helen Clark said.

Fact Sheet: School Property

The government is committed to providing strong public services such as schools that are modern, up-to-date,
enjoyable learning environments.

Key Property Facts:

• Since 1999, the government has invested over $200 million building new schools in areas of high population growth.
• Twenty-nine new schools have opened since Labour became government.
• The government is investing nearly $405 million in 2005/06 on new schools, new classrooms and other school buildings.
• Two new schools will open in Auckland at the start of next year at a cost of up to $20 million.
• We have invested $220 million to build over 2200 new classrooms to meet growth demands in existing schools.
• $892 million in property funding has been distributed to 2,150 schools under the five-year funding programme (see below).
• $1.2 billion in total will be available for the five-year property programme over the next five years. As each school comes to the end of its five-year funding, it can look forward to entering the next five-year property programme.

The Five-Year Property Programme:

• The five-year property programme started in 2000 with the objective of giving every board of trustees by 2004 a long-term, inflation adjusted budget so that they can make the best long-term property decisions for their school.
• This means that schools themselves can take decisions to spend money on upgrading land and buildings, rather than waiting in a queue, which was the case prior to 2000. Schools can now decide themselves which property projects are priorities.