NorthTec a step closer to city centre campus

Northland's biggest tertiary education provider is a step closer to relocating to Whangārei city centre after the Government confirmed funding of almost $35 million for the move.

The plan would see NorthTec shift from its current campus in Raumanga, about 3km from the CBD, to the former council headquarters at Forum North. NorthTec operations lead Derek Slatter said a central city location would bring students closer to public transport, businesses and community services. It would also make vocational education more visible and connected to the rest of the city, he said. If all went to plan the new campus would open in 2029.

Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds said nurse training would be a key part of the new campus, with dedicated teaching spaces and simulation facilities designed to help ākonga [learners] hone their clinical skills and gain confidence in realistic settings.

She said approval of the business case, and confirmation of the $34.7m investment, were major steps towards making sure Northlanders had access to modern vocational education and training facilities.

The funding was announced in principle in April, provided the business case was successful. RNZ understands NorthTec was notified on Monday the business case had been approved.

Meanwhile, Slatter said the future of NorthTec land on Raumanga Valley Road would be decided through a separate process. Any land disposal would be subject to legal requirements, including the Public Works Act.

NorthTec's marae, Te Puna o Te Mātauranga, would also be moved to the city centre. That would require close engagement with hapū and iwi, and would be approached with care and respect, Slatter said.

The previous Labour Government absorbed NorthTec into a single, nationwide mega-polytechnic called Te Pūkenga.

That was reversed by the coalition Government, which brought back standalone regional institutes - but NorthTec was one of a handful around the country put on notice that it would be closed down if it did not become financially viable.

Since then NorthTec has undergone significant restructuring and staff cuts. It is due to be re-established as a standalone polytechnic on 1 January.

The Whangārei District Council moved out of Forum North into its newly built Te Iwitahi headquarters in mid-2023. The council offices have been vacant since then, though other parts of the Forum North complex, including the exhibition hall and Capitaine Bougainville Theatre, are still in use.

Slatter said the hall and theatre would remain accessible to the public after NorthTec's move.

NorthTec currently has a student headcount of 3393, or 1599 in full-time-equivalents.

Decisions on the future of NorthTec's satellite campuses in Kerikeri and Ngāwhā, near Kaikohe, are expected later this year.