David Seymour eyes University of Auckland’s $150m Epsom site for co-ed public school

Since the 1880s, a 37-acre site in the leafy Auckland suburb of Epsom was used to train teachers. 

Now Epsom MP and Act Leader David Seymour wants the site, empty since the last of the University of Auckland students left in 2024, to be the new location of an unzoned, co-educational public school. 

And not just any school – one jointly operated by two of the country’s top state facilities – the neighbouring Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar. 

“They would like to co-sponsor a co-educational high school in the ethos of those two excellent schools,” Seymour told the Herald while walking through the empty university grounds. 

“The motivation is that if this land becomes housing, it will put huge pressure on their rolls. On the other hand, if they can add a new high-quality school to Auckland, then that’s got to be a good thing for everybody.” 

But there are a number of hurdles. 

David Seymour at University of Auckland's former Epsom campus, where he proposes a new school should be built. Photo / Michael Craig 

The land is owned by the University of Auckland. 

Before any sale can go ahead, the university must meet a number of legal and government requirements. This includes working with Crown agencies, meeting obligations under the Public Works Act and following right of first refusal requirements. 

And then there’s the cost. 

Seymour said the most recent valuation put it at $150 million. 

“Obviously it’s a substantial amount of money. I believe that could be offset by selling other land such as that the Ministry of Education bought by Alexandra Park in the 1990s and has never done anything with, and perhaps by subsidising some of this land for housing while keeping most of it for education.” 

He insisted it’s not about stopping developers buying up the land and increasing housing intensification in his prized electorate. 

“There’s massive intensification happening in Epsom anyway. I would say it’s a part of that intensification to preserve some green spaces and some education. 

“If we’re going to live in more terraced housing and apartments, we’re going to need to preserve more green space. I would actually say they go hand in hand. 

“The deal has to work. Maybe some government money goes into it, but we’ve got to be mindful of government debt. I think it should be offset by other land that the ministry owns and is not using.” 

Seymour said he’s raised the issue with Education Minister Erica Stanford. 

“I’ve had a lot of correspondence with Erica over the last few years. I’ve written to her and asked her to consider this, but under no circumstances sell it without telling me.” 

Stanford said she’s passed that on to the Ministry of Education (MoE). 

“Any decisions on new schools are a matter for MoE and depend on local demand and capacity,” Stanford said through a spokesperson. 

“Purchasing land for schools is dependent on location, cost and priorities within the wider school network and is a matter for the ministry and from October 1 the newly formed New Zealand School Property Association.” 

Epsom Girls Grammar and Auckland Grammar are looking at running a co-ed school together. Photo / Alex Burton 

Epsom Girls and Auckland Grammar are bursting at the seams, as are other popular nearby state schools, including Mt Albert Grammar. 

Auckland Grammar principal Tim O’Connor and Epsom Girls principal Brenda McNaughton went to Seymour in May with the idea. 

The proposed new school would be co-educational – and crucially unzoned. 

“I trust those two educators. I would back them as the best two principals in New Zealand. They had the backing of their boards when they approached me,” Seymour said. 

“They will run a great school. And you can imagine the ethos of Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls: very academic, high performance, but co-ed, which a lot of people want. 

“The school would have no zone, so nobody in the existing zones would be locked into it. But people from across the city, would be able to come to it, thereby taking the immense pressure off those schools. 

“I think it’s absolutely critical to recognise this is not about dividing up the existing zones, it is about creating a school of choice.” 

He said it would be a public school but could work under the special charter school legislation. 

“That’s not the goal here. It’s a case of making sure the school can be set up with control for the two school boards, accountability for the taxpayer and the parents, and no zones, so it’s a school of choice and excellence.” 

Seymour said he’d like the property transaction completed next year, students and teachers recruited in 2028, with the school opening in 2029. 

Katie Bradford is a Senior Correspondent at the Herald. She has been a broadcast journalist for over 20 years and was based in the press gallery for 10 years. She specialises in politics, business and Auckland issues.