At the request of the new Minister of Education the business case developed in 2014 and 2015 is being reviewed.
This will begin with a visit to both schools from a team to inspect the condition of our buildings this Friday.
The MOE has sent the following press release today:
It has always been imperative that the plan we develop for these schools is in the best interests of the Marlborough education network and provides both Colleges with excellent facilities, while making appropriate use of public funds.
Since consulting with the local community about the proposal in 2014 & 2015 finding a suitable site has proven challenging. Changing market conditions have also significantly impacted the estimated cost of a project of this size.
For these reasons Minister Hipkins has asked us to review the options for these schools and develop an updated business case. This will involve considering alternative co-location options and options for redeveloping the existing schools.
The local community will be given opportunities to express their views on the updated options once they have been presented to the schools. We will be actively consulting with the schools throughout this process and providing the local community with regular updates.
We expect to be in a position to present the options to Minister Hipkins and then Cabinet by the middle of the year.
The delivery approach for these schools is yet to be determined.
Both boards remain resolute in support of co-location on a greenfield site developed after significant community consultation.