KEY POINTS:
Settlement or withdrawal of appeals to the Environment Court has cleared the way for a start to construction of the proposed Albany Senior High School.
The building is likely to be ready for the first term of 2010, said the first state senior high school's establishment board chairman, Simon Russell.
But a series of delays in developing the project means the school must operate for the first year at an "initial campus"sharing the Albany Junior High site.
"It won't be in prefabs," said Mr Russell. "We told the Ministry of Education, these must be designed for 21st century students and we are delighted at the quality of the purpose-built relocatables."
The Ministry of Education budget for providing the initial campus is $7 million, and the ministry says buildings could be sold or moved to other sites once the school opened at its permanent location on the former Albany Outdoor Education Centre land.
Junior High School principal Mike Jackson said he was relieved that the appeals were settled.
"All going well, the senior high will be on our site for only one year."
North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams said the Environment Court had approved the consent for the senior high school after the appeals of his council and other parties had been settled in mediation.
"The ministry has done a marvellous job to accommodate the different concerns of the parties."
In March, the council commissioners recommended significant modifications of development plans to Education Minister Chris Carter.
But the minister rejected elements of the recommendation focusing on environmental matters, which prompted the council to lodge its appeal in May.
Other appellants included Auckland Regional Council, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore Domain and The Landing Neighbourhood Group.
"A sensible solution reached is having an ongoing liaison between appellants for five years once the school is built," said Mr Williams.
He said the building was redesigned so as not to encroach into an area of bush, and traffic concerns had been addressed.
"A heritage zone for the original primary school buildings has been addressed, down to the skinks and lizards some were concerned about."
Mr Williams said that if the ministry lodged a building consent application with the council, work on the project might start by Christmas.
