Property solution for Wellington Girls’ College
Kia ora, e te whānau
I’m sorry about two newsletters in 24 hours, but we have just been given the news that our rebuild is going to happen.
The Board’s Presiding member, the Chair of the Property committee and I met with MOE officials at 10am and were told that the Minister was making a press release at the same time. This was the first we had heard of the decision, so we are still digesting it and more information will come in the next few weeks.
The Cabinet approved scope of the work is:
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Complete strengthening works on Pipitea Block.
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Complete covered courts and turf replacement works.
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Strengthen Brook Block to as near as reasonably practicable to 67% of
New Building Standards (NBS).
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Existing poor-condition prefabricated buildings onsite removed and
replaced.
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Relocation and reuse of Tiakiwai Village and/or E-modulars elsewhere
on the school site to deliver some of the required replacement
classrooms.
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Remaining non-relocated modulars removed from school site.
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New building to replace old poor-condition prefabricated buildings, and
administration and resource space currently accommodated offsite.
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New school hall.
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Reinstate the school field.
We are particularly thrilled that the Board’s explicit priorities of returning the field and replacing the Hall have been listened to.
This is great news for WGC and we are now confident we will see significant progress in the next 3 years. It’s a massive relief.
Ngā manaakitanga
Julia Davidson
Press release
12 February 2025
Property solution for Wellington Girls’ College
The Government is providing Wellington Girls’ College certainty by confirming funding for the school’s long-term property solution.
“Cabinet has approved funding for the next stage of the school’s redevelopment. It will deliver safe, warm and dry learning environments that will ensure Wellington Girls’ College continues to deliver a world-leading education for generations to come,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
The next stage will deliver:
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A new two-storey building to deliver replacement classrooms and administration/resource space.
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A new replacement school hall.
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Earthquake strengthening works on Brook Block.
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Relocation of some of the modular classrooms on the school field and two-storey modulars to their permanent location to deliver new classrooms as part of this next stage of the project.
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Reinstatement of the school field
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Removal of the end-of-life prefabricated classrooms that will no longer be required.
This stage is on top of the investment to deliver one and two-storey modular classrooms, strengthening works on the Pipitea Block, and delivering covered courts. The new two-storey building and relocated modulars will deliver around 20 classrooms for the school. The total investment across both previous and future works is around $100 million.
“This Government is developing a more efficient and sustainable solution for how we deliver school property. It is our expectation the Ministry of Education prioritises repeatable and modular buildings and is transparent when communicating with schools throughout the planning process.
“The new two-storey modular classrooms delivered ahead of Term 1 are a great example of what we can do when we focus on speed, innovation, and working collaboratively with the market, and I expect to see more of this approach across the country.”
Work is expected to begin on the new two-storey building and hall in 2026. Work on Pipitea Block is already underway and is expected to be completed mid-2025. Strengthening of Brook Block and other redevelopment works are planned to begin onsite by the end of 2025.
“Improving education infrastructure is an important part of laying the foundation for New Zealanders to succeed. This Government is committed to delivering just that,” Ms Stanford says.
Media contact: Mitchell Alexander +64 21 846 701