This application is notified under section 17SC of the Conservation Act 1987. The Minister of Conservation has received an application for a lease or a term of 20 years from:
Application details
Applicant: The Ministry of Education
Location of proposed activity: Local Purpose (School) Reserve (located at 421 Te Ahu Ahu Road, Waimate North).
Concession applied for: The Ministry of Education proposes to take a staged approach to the development of the school. An existing classroom block is proposed to be refurbished to meet Ministry of Education – School Property standards.
Another admin/classroom will be demolished and removed from the site as refurbishment is not feasible.
Over the 4 stages of development the Ministry of Education will add further buildings and improvements. Pages 32–35 of the application depict these improvements with annotations.
- Stage 1 (Roll 40 students): Removal of an existing building and demolition of smaller buildings. Minor upgrades to driveway. Addition of four Offsite-Manufactured Buildings (OMB). Addition of a toilet block.
- Stage 2 (Roll 60 students): Addition of two OMBs.
- Stages 3 and 4 (Roll 108 students): Addition of two OMBs. Addition of a toilet block.
Summary of proposal: The Ministry of Education proposes to lease the reserve for the purpose of re-establishing a school to be named 'Te Kura a Iwi o Te Waimate'. The school is planned to accommodate years 1–8. A site capacity study confirms a roll of 110–130 students could be comfortably supported on the site.
The land is a local purpose (school) reserve controlled and managed by Te Whiu Hapu Incorporated. The administering body has closely partnered with the Ministry of Education in the development of the proposal and are supportive of the activity as it aligns with their aspirations.
Application documents:
How to make a submission
Any person or organisation may make a submission in writing to the Director-General on the proposal.
Submissions close 19 June 2026 at 5 pm.
1. Prepare your submission
Record what you think in the submission form.
2. Send us your submission
Send your submission by email or post. You'll get a confirmation email or letter when a submission has been received.
Email: awmason@doc.govt.nz
Post:
Director-General
Department of Conservation
Permissions Team
Private Bag 3072
Hamilton 3204
Attention: Akasha Warner-Mason Senior Permissions Treaty Advisor
Once submitted, submitters' information is subject to the Official Information Act 1982 and may be released under that Act. If you wish to keep any part of your submission confidential, state this in writing when making your submission.
What happens next
After submissions close:
- DOC will analyse and consider all submissions.
- A hearing will be held if there have been requests to be heard by the Director-General. If you have expressed an interest in presenting your submission at a hearing, you'll be contacted by DOC regarding this.
- DOC will analyse and consider information raised at the hearing if a hearing occurred.
- DOC will make a recommendation to the Minister of Conservation.
- The Minister of Conservation will make a decision on the application.
Hearing details
If a hearing is required, it's likely to occur on the week starting 6 July 2026.
Decision
No details at this point. Details, such as submissions and the decision outcome, will be added when they are available.
DOC comment regarding publicly notified applications
The Minister of Conservation has made no determination regarding the suitability of this proposed concession on public conservation land. This public notification should not be interpreted as an intention on the part of the Minister of Conservation to grant the proposed concession.
Contact
If you have a question about the application or the submission process you can contact Akasha Warner-Mason Senior Permissions Treaty Advisor.
Email: awmason@doc.govt.nz