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$15 million to relocate Monte Cecilia School

monte cecilia

The cost for moving the Monte Cecilia Catholic school in Auckland is forecast to be $15,355,000.

The school was relocated from Monte Cecilia as part of the development of Monte Cecilia Park and is now next to St John Vianney Church at 34 Whitmore Rd in Hillborough.

The new site is built around three Modern Learning Environments that can each accommodate up to 75 pupils.

It was opened in February 2016.

The expansion of the park also includes the acquisition of Liston Retirement Village.

The figures were obtained under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

The money required to relocate the school is additional to the $38.45 million which has already been spent acquiring land around the park over the past 10 years.

Mt Roskill MP Michael Wood says the former Auckland City Council plan has been pushed through despite years of community backlash.

“It was arrogant political decision-making by the council at the time,” he says.

“It was a really good example of a grandiose boys’ project they just decided they were going to ram through.

However, Auckland Council says it cannot be held responsible for the project.

Social policy manager Kataraina Maki says the council has an obligation to honour the contract, which was entered into by the previous administration.

In 1998, the former Auckland City Council agreed to purchase the park, with plans to further expand its holdings.

At the time John Banks was Mayor and David Hay was his deputy.

Mr Wood believes the pair pushed the plan to act as “their legacy”.

The Monte Cecilia Catholic School site, Liston Retirement Village and 14 residential properties around the park’s fringes have since been added to its grounds.

The final concept plan wasn’t released to the public until November 2016 and many of its costs still remain confidential.

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