Land sale could cost school

The sale of education zoned land next to Selwyn College was a mistake, two Auckland politicians say.

Tamaki MP Allan Peachey says the shortsighted decision to carve up the three hectare block of parkland and bush in Kohimarama will cost the community dearly.

He says land was sold without any thought as to what the school would be like in 10 to 15 years.

"It was a mistake to sell it because you had a school that was rapidly losing the confidence of the community," he says.

"But when it regains that confidence, it's going to need all the land and property assets it's got."

The college gained a 50 percent cut of the $4 million sale to Ngati Whatua o Orakei Trust Board in 2005, after the land was declared surplus to requirement by the Education Ministry.

Debate over the land has erupted since the East and Bays Courier revealed in October that Education Holdings Ltd had secured a 150-year renewable lease from Ngati Whatua and was applying for a plan change from education to health to build a 200-unit retirement village.

Mr Peachey questions how the school spent the money.

"The school is in a pretty poor state in terms of maintenance, so if it got $2 million from the sale, where has that money gone?

"There is no evidence the money has been invested in property development."

Selwyn?s acting board of trustees chairwoman Margaret Belich says the money is in a capital development fund and has not been touched.

"We're in the process of looking at a number of projects, but they take time to develop and prioritise," she says.

She says money could be used to upgrade a maths block, the space around the theatre or for technology block improvements.

"It will be used in an area where we think there's going to be growth. It will sit in the fund until we have a strong plan."

East and Bays Community Board member councillor Toni Millar says the school's roll will grow because it is in Auckland's most densely populated residential area, with infill housing.

She says the area already lacks playing fields.

Association to Conserve and Nurture Education Zones spokesman Charles Lowndes says information it requested on the school's potential growth over the next 43 years was denied under the Official Information Act either because it can't be found or it does not exist.

"They have no estimates for the next two generations of parents," he says.

"How can they say land is surplus to requirements if that information doesn't exist?"