Hon Hekia Parata
Minister of Education

4 February 2013 Media Statement

New primary school opens in Hobsonville Point

The first school in New Zealand to be built under a public-private partnership has officially opened its doors to students today.

Auckland’s Hobsonville Point Primary School is the first school to be designed, built, financed, and maintained under a public-private partnership (PPP).

The school’s partnership is with Learning Infrastructure Partners, a consortium made up of firms including Hawkins and Programmed Facility Maintenance.

The partnership is for 25 years.

Education Minister, Hekia Parata, said public-private partnerships should help relieve schools and boards of the burden of managing property and allow them to focus more on teaching and learning.

“PPPs also mean the property must be maintained to a high standard, effectively giving the Crown a 25-year guarantee against problems such as leaky buildings,” she says.

Ms Parata says Hobsonville Point Primary School was constructed to cater for the growing population in the Hobsonville area.

“While the roll is small now it is expected to grow quickly with up to 3,000 new homes planned as part of the Hobsonville Point housing development.

“Hobsonville Point Primary will give children in the area access to a good education in a modern, 21st century school,” she says.

Hobsonville Point Primary Principal, Daniel Birch, says today has been long awaited.

“We have a very talented staff and a great environment which will enable us to create amazing learning opportunities for all students.

“Our mission statement is to Innovate, Engage, Inspire. To do this we will focus on the individual needs and interests of each child.

Learning Infrastructure Partners Director, Steven Proctor, says he is proud to have been involved in the development of the school.

“Now it’s operational, it is our responsibility to maintain the buildings, which means the principal can concentrate on education without the distraction of property management.”

A combined Establishment Board of Trustees is overseeing the formation of Hobsonville Point Primary school and a secondary school, which is set to open for Year 9 students in 2014.

An official opening for Hobsonville Point Primary School will take place in May.

________________________________________

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>