Army base earmarked for schools

An old Army base south of Auckland is likely to become home to two new schools as the Ministry of Education moves to cope with the region's population boom.

Takanini in the Papakura District needs the equivalent of three new primary schools and one new secondary school, with the population expected to quadruple over the next 15 years.

The ministry has snapped up 12ha of land - the former Papakura Army base - which is earmarked for a primary and secondary school. Several greenfield hectares surrounding the site have been bought for residential development.

Brenda Radford, northern regional schools network planning manager, said the ministry wanted input from people living in, or planning to move to, the area.

"There will be opportunity for people to tell us how they think the education needs of their children can best be met," she said.

The Takanini population is forecast to balloon from 6000 today to 24,000 by 2020. That includes the number of primary school children jumping from 850 to 2800 and secondary age students from 140 to 1800.

There are seven primary schools and one secondary school on the fringes of the area catering for students from Takanini and Papakura.

"These are unlikely to be able to cope with the expected increase in student numbers," said Ms Radford.

Consultation will begin early next year and a reference group will be established to help develop an area strategy. It is thought the first of the four schools will be needed within five years.

Papakura District Mayor John Robertson said the area had greenfield sites ripe for development, which had started with the Addison housing development in Takanini.

The district was forecast to double its population from 45,000 to 90,000 by 2050.

"But we think that's a conservative estimate and it will happen before then," he said.

Papakura was the "gateway to the north" with good passenger transport and motorway links. It also had an attractive environment in all directions.

"It's been stagnating through the 80s and 90s, but people are starting to discover Papakura," Mr Robertson said. "Our challenge is to shape development for future generations with quality urban design."

The Takanini schools are the second concrete proposal from a ministry blueprint for the region. The first, an education campus featuring primary and secondary schools and early childhood facilities, at Flatbush, was unveiled in September.

The region's population explosion is due to high immigration, relocation from elsewhere in New Zealand, expats returning home, and natural population growth. Hot-spots include Albany, the Hibiscus Coast, Hobsonville and Pukekohe.

Learning curve

* At "12 to 15 hot-spots" across Auckland there are expected to be up to an extra 55,000 school-age children by 2020.
* That is the equivalent of 80 schools. The ministry plans to build about 40 new schools, costing at least $500 million, and make extra room at existing schools.
* The ministry has bought about 20 sites in preparation for the work.