Victoria University to drop Karori campus

  • 30/08/2016
Victoria University to drop Karori campus

Wellington's Victoria University is looking to get rid of its Karori campus, saying it's too far from the rest of the central city sites and "surplus to requirements".

The university's council made a decision at its August meeting and is now considering the future of the 3.7 hectare site, which could be accommodation, redevelopment or selling it off entirely.

The campus currently has 20 buildings and it's expected the sale process could take between 12 and 24 months.

Wellington City Council says it'll work with the community and university to look at options for the residents to use the site during that time.

Council chief operating officer Greg Orchard says aside from academic learning, the campus is used by local clubs, schools and community groups.

"We are looking into the Karori community's requirements and, over the coming months, will be working with Victoria University and the community to ensure the community's needs for accessible and appropriate community and recreation facilities are maintained," he says.

A public meeting at the campus will be held on September 15 for locals concerned about the future of the site.

Vice-chancellor Professor Grant Guilford says there'd been a long-running debate about the Karori campus' place in Wellington, considering how far it is from other central sites in the city, including Kelburn.

"This isolation has always created a sense of disconnection for staff and students at Karori," he says.

"Victoria's vision is to be a world-leading capital city university and one of the world's great global-civic universities. To achieve this, we must continue to strengthen our connections and links with Wellington city and be highly visible in the city."

The Wellington College of Education merged with Victoria's School of Education in 2005 at the Karori campus.

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