Categories: NewsEducation

Multi-million dollar college revamp finally underway

<h3 style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">A sod-turning ceremony at Western Springs College this week marked the start of a &dollar;79 million redevelopment &&num;8211&semi; the largest ever investment in a New Zealand school&period;<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p>Rebuild plans date back to 2011 and school representatives have expressed huge frustration with the long delays&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>However&comma; a &&num;8220&semi;temporary school&&num;8221&semi; of nine transportable classrooms will be delivered to the college during the September holidays&comma; paving the way for work on the new build to begin&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"content">&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Education minister Hekia Parata says the government will invest around &dollar;75 million redeveloping the college&comma; and around &dollar;4 million upgrading TAPAC&comma; the Auckland Performing Arts Centre on the school grounds&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;At least 80 per cent of the existing teaching spaces at the college will be replaced entirely&comma; and other facilities will be upgraded&comma;” she says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The college is built on a former landfill and quarry&comma; which means there are considerable geotechnical challenges associated with the site&period; However&comma; the site is ideally positioned to serve surrounding communities&comma; so this is an important investment in the local school network&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Western Springs College is one of our highest-performing schools&comma; and I’m confident that students&comma; parents and staff alike can’t wait to see the new facilities take shape&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The redevelopment is expected to be completed by the end of 2018&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;

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