Unitec plans big campus expansion in Mt Albert

Big development is planned at one of New Zealand's largest tertiary campus sites.

Unitec chief executive Dr Rick Ede said the 22ha Mt Albert campus valued at $205 million could take more buildings and accommodate substantial growth in the next 50 years.

More buildings would push up revenue, he said.

Unitec has 23,000 full-time and part-time students .

Dr Ede said it now had more control over the use of its land and buildings after the Government said it would relax rules on how tertiary institute property is managed.

"Every business must ensure that its assets are relevant and appropriate for the current phase of its business cycle and that they are working as hard as possible to provide capital to grow," he said.

"These changes give Unitec more opportunity over how it develops and manages its campuses to ensure it is viable as both a modern tertiary provider and a business," he said.

The Mt Albert campus is one of Unitec's most valuable assets.

The site could be developed either in a partnership or by others, Dr Ede said.

"By maximising the way the Mt Albert campus works for Unitec, we can reinvest and develop our services.

"Unitec will carefully consider any future development of the campus as it is a unique piece of land that has strong community use and historical links to Maori," he said.

The land and buildings are valued at $205 million.

Part of the site was the Carrington Hospital, but architecture, landscape architecture and design students now study there.

UNITEC

* Operates from four Auckland sites.
* Mt Albert campus is Crown and Unitec-owned land.
* Waitakere campus Unitec-owned with some leased property.
* North Shore and Newmarket campuses in leased premises.