Epsom MP proposes converting former university campus into co-ed public school

Since the 1880s the Epsom parcel served as a teacher-training ground, but it has sat unused after the last University of Auckland students left in 2024. Acting on that vacancy, Epsom MP and ACT leader David Seymour is lobbying for the land, now valued at $150 million, to host a new co-educational public high school without zoning restrictions. The school would be co-sponsored by Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar, whose principals Tim O’Connor and Brenda McNaughton approached Seymour with the idea.

Seymour suggests financing the purchase by disposing of other dormant Ministry of Education assets and possibly allocating part of the site for housing. The university must comply with the Public Works Act and right-of-first-refusal rules before any transaction. Education Minister Erica Stanford has passed the request to the Ministry of Education, which will decide based on local demand, cost and broader school network priorities. Seymour hopes to finalize the land deal next year, recruit staff by 2028 and open the school in 2029.