"Under Labour there will be an immediate hold on the disposal of that land and we will review the decision to use the mushroom farm as the reason to lose this land, when it's likely it will address the odour issue."
She said Labour would also undertake a full report into local education needs, including primary, intermediate and secondary schools, and that the community would be fully consulted.
"The kura has moved to Hastings and deservedly so.
"The 10 classrooms that we have been promised, if they ever turn up, are clear evidence that we need a new school. I am 100 per cent committed to ensuring Havelock North and Hastings East get the school they were promised.
Labour MP Trevor Mallard was in Hawke's Bay yesterday and said Havelock North's school population growth had been happening for more than a decade.
"Even when I was Minister of Education in 2005 Havelock North was a growth hotspot.
"It seems to me there's been an enormous focus on Auckland and as a result the eye has not been kept on the ball in a lot of regions."
He suggested that rather than an ad-hoc approach, a review should be carried out to determine the shape of schooling in Havelock North, and then the community asked where they want to be in 10 years.
"Every step you take from then should be consistent with that 10-year-plan."
National party Tukituki candidate Lawrence Yule said if Havelock North needed another school he would advocate for it.
He noted, however, that the Government had added more classrooms, and that there was still a big issue with out of zone children attending Havelock North schools.
"We need to look at Havelock North's growth and look at the real estate and review what we actually need."
He didn't agree with the Ministry of Education retaining the Arataki Camping Ground land, noting there was a lot of land in the Brookvale area where a school could go.
He suggested the first call on the Arataki land would be for residential housing, noting that social housing had already been considered for the site and discounted.