Victoria University update on Karori campus

Victoria University of Wellington will continue to regularly update its website with the latest information about the process it is following regarding disposal of its Karori campus.

Last week, the University hosted a public meeting in Karori to answer questions around its decision to declare the Karori campus surplus to requirements. Representatives of the Ministry of Education and the Wellington City Council also attended the meeting.

At the meeting, Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford provided background on the factors that led to the relocation of the Faculty of Education from Karori to the University’s Kelburn campus at the start of this year, and the decision by the University Council to declare the campus surplus to requirements.

He debunked the “$10 campus myth”, which wrongly suggests that the $20million rateable value of the campus is the amount of profit Victoria will make from any sale, minus the $10 title transfer fee paid in 2010.

Professor Guilford detailed the amount of money Victoria has invested in the Karori campus since 2005 (around $21 million) when Victoria assumed responsibility for the campus following its merger with the College of Education. He also outlined the multi-million dollar costs of providing quality, fit-for-purpose facilities for the Faculty of Education at the University’s Kelburn campus to replace the facilities vacated at Karori.

Professor Guilford also presented the facts around Victoria’s engagement with Māori interests over the Karori campus, confirming that the University is engaging with the iwi of Wellington in relation to the campus and recognises that mana whenua are interested in the campus’s future.

There are no outstanding Treaty settlements that could require the Karori campus land to be retained for settlement purposes and the land is not subject to Right of First Refusal under existing Treaty settlement legislation.

Professor Guilford’s presentation, along with detailed background about the Karori campus, including the independent report that recommended it be declared surplus to requirements, are available at www.victoria.ac.nz/about/explore-victoria/campuses/karori.

The website will be regularly updated as milestones are reached in the disposal process.