National is committed to quality education for the next generation of New Zealanders and to deliver on this we need to invest in infrastructure, National’s Education spokesperson Nikki Kaye says.

“Today National’s Candidate in Ōtaki Tim Costley and I have announced that the next National Government will build a new primary school in Waikanae and deliver this by 2025.

“Kāpiti has experienced huge growth over recent years, enhanced by easier transport links with Wellington including the Kāpiti expressway (part of National’s Roads of National Significance). This growth has put Kāpiti schools and enrolment zones under pressure.

“Building a new primary school will help ease this pressure on local schools, help reduce classroom sizes and make sure more children can walk or bike to their local school. A school was planned around a decade ago, but this has not happened due to land not being purchased in the right place.

“Primary schools across the region are averaging growth of around 60 pupils per school over the past five years. That means we need more than two new classrooms per school. One schools grew by more than 110 students between 2015 and 2019.

“The last National Government invested more than $5 billion in school infrastructure, increasing the overall spend by several billion. National has a track record of building and delivering infrastructure.

“National will be announcing further investment in education infrastructure locally in Ōtaki and nationally.

“With pressure mounting on local schools, National will invest in New Zealand’s future and deliver a new primary school for Waikanae.”

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