New Zealand Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye has announced today that a package of four new school projects will be developed using a public private partnership (PPP).

Hekia Parata stated:

This Government is committed to investing in education and making sure schools have high-quality infrastructure to get the best learning outcomes. The use of PPPs for new school projects is a key part of our plan to achieve this.

An invitation for Expressions of Interest will be issued very soon according to the Government.

The project will be developed on a design, build, financing, and maintenance (DBFM) basis for a period of 25 years from the opening of the final school. The project cost is estimated at NZ$200 million.

Nikki Kaye stated:

Over the past 12 months the Ministry has conducted a comprehensive market sounding exercise. Feedback from market sounding participants also shaped the Ministry's thinking about which schools should be included in the project.

The project includes the Aranui Community School and Rolleston Secondary School in greater Christchurch, Wakatipu Secondary School's new site in Queenstown and a new school in Auckland yet to be confirmed. Together the four schools make a viable PPP project.

The government has scheduled the selection of the successful bidder for late 2014. After negotiations are completed with the winning consortium, a contract will be signed and construction can commence in early 2015.

The green light from Cabinet for this project follows the Ministry of Education's first PPP contract signed in April 2012 with Learning Infrastructure Partners for the development, financing, construction and maintenance of Hobsonville Point primary and secondary schools.