Since 1 October, state school buildings have been the job of a new Crown agent. The New Zealand School Property Agency (NZSPA) now plans, builds, maintains and administers the school property portfolio, taking over from the Ministry of Education.
Education Minister Erica Stanford and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop marked the start in a joint release on 1 October. “The establishment of NZSPA is about improving the transparency and quality of service for schools. We need classrooms and learning environments that work for schools, students and communities,” Erica said.
Parliament created the agency through the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Act 2026, which received Royal assent on 25 June. The Act makes NZSPA a Crown agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004, and a commencement order brought its property provisions into force on 1 October.
Who decides what
The release sets out the split. “The Ministry of Education will remain responsible for education policy and network decisions, including where growth is required,” Erica said. NZSPA reports to both ministers and answers to its own board.
Murray McCully, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, was lead independent reviewer for the 2024 Ministerial Inquiry into School Property. According to Public Service Commission advice to the Minister in July 2024, the inquiry recommended moving both the property and network functions into an arm’s-length entity.
The release says the inquiry flagged “poor value for money, poor service to schools, and limited transparency.” Murray now chairs NZSPA’s six-member board, with chartered accountant Sarah Petersen as deputy chair.
The other directors are Mark Binns, Rick Herd, Sue McCormack and Peter Alexander. Rick led Naylor Love, and Mark ran Fletcher Building’s infrastructure division before heading Meridian Energy. The Act requires the board to hold expertise in areas including construction governance, the schooling system and the perspectives of state school boards.
Gerard (Gus) Gilmore, a former chief executive of Te Pūkenga, has led School Property as chief executive since July.
For principals and boards, day-to-day contacts stay the same. The Ministry’s 25 September notice says its School Property team has transferred to NZSPA and schools can keep working with that team or their local property advisor, now on NZSPA email addresses. The agency’s website is schoolproperty.govt.nz.
The 5 Year Agreement (5YA) rules that took effect on 1 July carry on under NZSPA. Schools starting a new cycle from that date get $45 per square metre of Crown-owned building, up from $30, with a minimum allocation of $90,000, up from $45,000. The 5YA still feeds the school’s 10 Year Property Plan and covers capital work only. Maintenance comes from the property maintenance grant in operational funding.
Standard designs and the supplier panels
NZSPA launched Standard Designs on 1 July and says they’re now the default for new builds and significant property projects. The first wave of roll growth projects using them is funded through Budget 2026, and planning has started on Budget 2027 growth and maintenance work.
Schools in line for roll growth or redevelopment go through planning workshops with NZSPA staff. Once the school and the agency sign off a plan, construction can start as soon as funding is approved, according to the agency.
Chris credited that approach with lower classroom costs. “The move towards offsite construction and repeatable designs shows what can be achieved when infrastructure is delivered in a more standardised and disciplined way. Those changes have helped bring the cost of most classrooms below $650,000, meaning we can make every dollar go further and deliver more for schools,” he said. Erica put the earlier figure at around $1.2 million a classroom.
For builders and consultants, NZSPA’s Capital Works Forward Pipeline, last issued in June 2026, lists most opportunities worth $100,000 or more with indicative procurement timelines. Open tenders run on the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS).
The construction directory is a national panel for NZSPA-led capital works over $500,000, sorted by region, value band, project type and delivery method. Directory members get the first invitation to tender, and firms can ask about joining at construction.directory@schoolproperty.govt.nz.
The professional services directory covers quantity surveying, master planning and lead design. It’s a sub-panel of the All-of-Government construction consultancy services panel, so firms need that membership first. The project and programme management panel isn’t taking new applications, and NZSPA says future openings will go through GETS.
The agency is also building a list of pre-approved building systems and materials. It says commercial opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers will be posted on GETS.
For contracts signed in 2026, NZSPA’s guidance sets 19 October as the last day to release a non-complex tender over $100,000, and 10 December as the last day for any tender to be released or close. The first 2027 tenders can go out on 19 January.
