Hon Nikki Kaye
Minister of Education
Hon Tim Macindoe

Associate Minister of Education

28 June 2017

Budget 2017: Further $5 million investment in Otago schools

Budget 2017 has already provided for around $19 million to increase capacity in Wanaka and today Education Minister Nikki Kaye and Associate Education Minister Tim Macindoe announced a further $5 million will be invested in schools in the Otago region.

Minister Macindoe visited Cromwell Primary School today to make the announcement.

“On top of the new school and six new roll-growth classrooms announced last month in Wanaka, the first round of school infrastructure investment in Budget 2017 will also provide ten new classrooms to three schools in the region,” says Ms Kaye.

The schools receiving new classrooms are:
Cromwell Primary School in Cromwell (around $2 million for four new classrooms)
Goldfields School in Cromwell (around $1 million for two new classrooms)
Shotover Primary School in Queenstown-Lakes (around $2 million for four new classrooms).
“These schools have all been experiencing growth over recent years. This new investment will provide space to accommodate both current and future growth,” says Ms Kaye.

“We’re committed to ensuring that children learn in environments that support them to achieve to the best of their abilities.”

“Budget 2016 invested close to $29 million in school infrastructure in the Otago and Southland regions, including around $25 million for the relocation of Wakatipu High School and over $3.5 million for ten new classrooms at five schools,” says Mr Macindoe.

“In addition to the investment through Budget 2016, in June last year we announced up to $11 million would be invested in the redevelopment and expansion of Arrowtown Primary School.

“The funding we have provided over the past two Budgets for school infrastructure shows our continuing commitment to providing infrastructure to schools in high growth areas.”

This investment in Otago/Southland schools is part of a $456.5 million investment in education infrastructure and associated operating costs as part of this year’s Budget.

“With this new investment, the Government has now committed well over $5 billion towards school infrastructure, more than any other previous government,” says Mr Macindoe.

Further announcements will be made about investments in school property under Budget 2017 in the coming weeks.

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