Media Release – The relocation of Pt Chevalier Kindergarten is now programmed for late 2017.

The kindergarten was set to move from its current Walford Road site at the end of this year. The move to a new location in Walmer Road (90-94) is now not likely to happen until July 2017.

Auckland Kindergarten Association CEO Tanya Harvey said today, 27 June 2016, there were two main causes for the delay.

Firstly, we had to go through a comprehensive resource consent process, as a number of the neighbours had concerns about the affect our facility would have on their loss of privacy, increased traffic volumes, the noise of children playing, and other matters.

“They had every right to do this,” Ms Harvey said. “And we had no objection to going through consent processes with them.  This meant, however, that time for submissions, the hearing and changes to accommodate the hearing conditions has resulted in a delay to the project.”

A second cause for the delay has related to the AKA needing to meet the government tendering processes (GETS) designed to promote open, fair competition for New Zealand contractors and to meet international trade agreement commitments. “The GETS methodology is a very thorough professional process which added a number of months to our project timings,” Ms Harvey said.

“Which is necessary to acquire a very generous $3.4 million of government funding, and a fantastic new community resource for Pt Chevalier.”

Ms Harvey said the new facility was set to be ‘the best of its kind’. It would offer, for 60 children, an 8.30am to 2.30pm Kindergarten Day Model service and a parallel 7.30am to 6.00pm service that extended access for families.  It would open Monday to Friday and in school holidays.

In addition it is anticipated that offerings to the community would also include a playgroup; learning groups on subjects such as parenting and baby care; Plunket and midwife services; and a mobile health unit located on-site up during the year.

Ms Harvey said she was sorry Pt Chevalier School would have to wait to access the land upon which the kindergarten stands currently.

“I know they are suffering from a lack of space, and it is my intention to work with the school to see if there is anything we might do to help them, and to ensure they can access the site as soon as possible.”

The Ministry of Education’s Head of Sector Enablement and Support, Katrina Casey said “we are very pleased to support AKA to be able to provide an enhanced state of the art early learning and support services for the community. They have put a lot of care and attention into what will work best for parents and children in the community.  We acknowledge for both AKA and the school the increased time needed to make this happen will be inconvenient but it is necessary to ensure proper process is followed.”

The Ministry of Education, Pt Chevalier School, and the Auckland Kindergarten Association last year announced jointly that the Ministry had purchased a new site for Pt Chevalier Kindergarten, and would be giving the existing kindergarten land to the school.