Solid Progress for Southern Cross, Ngā Tapuwae Projects

Issue: Volume 96, Number 3

Posted: 27 February 2017
Reference #: 1H9d6E

Two major redevelopment projects underway on the same site in Auckland – which together make it the second biggest project in the country – are making solid progress over summer, and students returning to classes would have been struck by the changes over the holidays.

Southern Cross Campus (SCC) and Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae share one site in Mangere, and both are being redeveloped at the same time.

Construction work on stage two of the SCC upgrade began in December, and the site is a hive of activity.

Stage one of the SCC project is complete, and included the building of a trades academy to provide valuable work skills for students.

The two schools act as an education hub for the area and the upgrades will create an inspiring platform for future success.

Students will benefit from new high quality buildings with teaching spaces that can be changed around to suit a variety of teaching and learning situations.

Six relocatable classrooms are in place for Southern Cross to use, allowing the overall building programme to be fast tracked. The project was previously planned as a six stage build, but there is now a shorter timeframe.

The two schools, with a combined roll of 1900 on completion of the project, will be physically separated, and the end result will give each school a defined area with some shared facilities.

The budget for the SCC upgrade is $23.5 million. This will deliver new teaching spaces, a library, administration and multi-purpose centre, and the day care will be relocated, giving children the opportunity to study all the way through high school.

Demolition of the college’s junior block and the administration building which is part of the kura is underway.

The $21 million-plus upgrade to Ngā Tapuwae will allow the kura to relocate to a larger area on the site and involves construction of new buildings and an upgrade of the wharenui. Some staff and students have been moved to temporary accommodation during the work.

Stage 1 for the kura allows the roll to grow to 400 and a proposed stage 2 to 500.

For SCC the first stage of demolition, and installation of temporary accommodation, is due to be completed this month (February 2017).

Stage 2, incorporating the college’s junior block, is on track for completion in December this year.

Stage 3, incorporating the senior block, multi-purpose space and administration building, is due for completion in April 2018.

The overall site building programme is scheduled to be completed in June 2018.

The two-school upgrade is a significant investment in the local community and will have a big impact on educational opportunities for students.

BY Education Gazette editors
Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero, reporter@edgazette.govt.nz

Posted: 2:56 pm, 27 February 2017

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