8 Feb 2016

Billion dollar boom in school, university building

6:49 am on 8 February 2016

School and university building projects pushed the value of education building consents to more than $1 billion last year.

Students away from a classroom, which is filled with empty school desks.

Photo: 123RF

The increase was mostly due to consents for construction at tertiary institutions.

The value of education sector building consents rose from $600 million in 2014 to $1.1 billion last year, an increase of 83 percent, Statistics New Zealand says.

New building consents made up 70 percent of the total value and renovations of existing buildings the rest.

Science buildings at universities and work on schools in the greater Christchurch area accounted for most of the increase.