School designers spend ‘relatively modest’, InfraComm says

The Ministry of Education spent $467m on building design consultants between 2019 and 2023. (Image: NZME)

Tue, 05 Mar 2024

Education minister Erica Stanford says “fancy architects” are one of the reasons she launched an inquiry into school buildings, but official data reveals the Ministry of Education's cost of designers has remained below 10% of capital spending.Stanford last week announced an inquiry into school properties, citing cost escalations and overspending on “bespoke” designs. The move followed the ministry pausing up to 350 school projects in various stages of completion to review them.The department spent $467 million in the...

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