28 Feb 2024

Education buildings review won't delay work - ministry

6:35 pm on 28 February 2024
National Party MP Erica Stanford asking questions in Select Committee during the 2023 Estimates Hearings.

Erica Stanford. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith

The Ministry of Education says most of the work on 352 current school building projects will not be delayed while it does a new review.

Education Minister Erica Stanford has ordered a three-month review of what is going wrong with masses of school builds, and how to do them better.

The ministry said it was now preparing advice on a full range of options, including the place of private-public partnerships for funding projects.

"A review does not mean that a project will be paused," head of property Sam Fowler said in a statement on Wednesday.

"For most projects a review will be undertaken in parallel with ongoing planning and design activities."

It had assessed risks at between 245 and 350 projects, before confirming 352 needed reviewing.

It would talk with the affected schools before releasing the list, Fowler said.

"Construction costs are rising and roll growth patterns change, so we need to make sure that we are making the right investment at the right school and at the right time.

"This will include using standard, repeatable solutions rather than bespoke designs."

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