KEY POINTS:
A key figure at a new high school has hit out at the Government over the delay to the school's development, dubbing the situation "woeful".
The Albany Senior High School was due to open at the start of 2009 but the Ministry of Education now admits it could be a year late, citing "significant opposition" to its application to redesignate the land.
Parents told the Herald they heard it could be delayed until 2011.
Establishment board chairman Simon Russell said the site for the school was settled a year ago, so the processes to ready it for building should have started then.
Instead, there was a nine-month delay.
"The parents' group, of which I was a part, started lobbying for this 14 months ago," said Mr Russell, who has a child in Year 9 at the feeder school Albany Junior High School. "The board is severely disappointed with the ministry for allowing it to get to this point."
Mr Russell said he expected the result from the North Shore City Council hearing of more than 120 submissions to come back in late December.
He said the timing could not be worse for getting building started and the summer season would be lost.
"The ministry has owned this site for 140 years," said Mr Russell. "They knew the senior high was coming, they build these buildings all the time."
The board was working with the ministry to find alternative accommodation for the school's first year.
It would ensure best practice was followed and the site would cater for students and their personalised learning.
The new school was scheduled to open with about 300 Year 11 students from the junior high. It was to introduce classes for Year 12 and Year 13 students in later years.
The school will be built on a 4ha site opposite Massey University Auckland campus.
An earlier suggestion to build it on land leased to Rosedale Pony Club was overturned after a public outcry.
