Escalating construction costs leaves stage three uncertain

Principal Ross Preece is pleased to see progress in the first stage of Ashburton College’s $60m rebuild, but if it will reach stage three is an unknown.
It has been a long wait but foundations are being poured for the first new classroom block that will be ready for the start of 2024.
“It was at least three years in the planning to get it over the line, and then three-and-a-half years to plan and get consent so we are delighted to see something happening,” Preece said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was on campus in 2019 to announce the rebuild of the over 50-year-old college.
The plans were then finally signed off in March this year and construction started in September.
“We still don’t have a finalised master plan, or even a finalised plan for block two yet, but I am happy we are not waiting for it to be all finalised, we are just getting on with it,” Preece said.
It’s a three-stage rebuild with block one under way and block two still in the final design phase, but questions marks now surround the future of block three.
“There is no certainty stage three will go ahead,” Preece said.
The college had vacant land which meant the building could start without disrupting current classrooms.
Block one will have 32 classroom spaces and be home to science, maths, and the Te Whare Manaaki special needs unit.
Once block 1 is completed around November 2023, the S block will be demolished over the school holidays to make way for the new block two, also 32 classrooms, to be built in 2024.
Te Whare Wānanga will be relocated to a “more prominent” location next to the administration building he said.
With escalating construction costs, the future of block three is on hold for now, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, Preece said.
The technology subjects are alright with the delay, Preece said, as the current ministry policy is for smaller spaces than the current spaces they have.
“All our workshops are 230sqm but the ministry says specialist classroom space is 112sqm.
“Our technology department is quite happy that for now stage three isn’t going ahead as they would much rather have the space.”
College could put in the larger technology room spaces from their own budgets, with a price tag of around $1.2m for the three spaces, Preece said.
It would be a major fundraising effort but as block three remains up in the air it’s a decision to consider when the time comes, he said.
The rebuild will allow the college to accommodate up to 1600 students, with the roll currently at 1270.

• Jonathan Leask