KEY POINTS:
The Ministry of Education has bought a 3.2ha site in the middle of Stonefields, the new suburb being established on the 110ha former Mt Wellington quarry.
The site will be used for a primary school of about 500 pupils, which will be ready for the start of the 2010 school year.
Landco Land Developments general manager Andrew Stringer said a school on the site would act as a major foundation for the new community.
"The school's location is one of the key measures we are putting in place to enhance the sustainability of the community, as it will work to reduce reliance on cars," Mr Stringer said.
The old Winstone quarry is the site of the largest residential development in Auckland city, with 2900 low-rise houses, terrace units and apartment blocks being built for 6000 people in the next decade.
This is the latest step in the creation of Stonefields and follows the news that Queensland's division of the Planning Institute of Australia recently awarded the project a merit award in planning excellence.
