- The former Pukemiro School in Waikato is being marketed for sale after closing in 2021 with only four pupils.
- It is Waikato’s second asbestos-affected school listed for sale by the Education Ministry this year.
- Taxpayers spend $25,000 annually maintaining the site, which contains low-to-medium-risk asbestos and lead paint.
A country school that closed its doors five years ago after its roll dropped to just four children has hit the market.
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It is the second Waikato school contaminated with asbestos to be listed for sale this year by the Ministry of Education.
The land and buildings at John Avenue, in Pukemiro, North Waikato, were formerly the home of Pukemiro School. The 8094sqm property has an RV of $1.42m, but the price expectations are well below that.
Lucy Ross, who handles school property at the Ministry of Education, said the property was no longer needed. The ministry had been talking with interested parties but nothing came of the discussions.
The school library is one of several buildings on the site. Photo / Supplied
Upkeep of the buildings and the grounds has cost the Ministry of Education about $25,000 a year. Photo / Supplied
Since Pukemiro School closed in 2021, taxpayers have been shelling out $25,000 a year to cover grounds maintenance, Building Warrant of Fitness requirements, and security.
The school opened in 1905 and closed in 2021 when there were just four students on the roll. In its heyday, the school catered to as many as 120 students a year because of the strong mining communities in Glen Afton and Pukemiro.
Since closing, the school has been used occasionally by community groups, the Electoral Commission and Mercury Energy.
Ross said surveys have identified asbestos-containing materials, assessed as low to medium risk when left undisturbed, and some instances of lead-based paint.
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The listing photos show not much has changed since the final student exited the building. Some of the furniture has been removed, but the large open-plan classroom, reception, library, sick bay, swimming pool (albeit drained), rugby fields, brightly coloured playground and dental clinic remain.
Harcourts agent Colin Sherrard, who is marketing the property with colleague Gerri Cole, said it was a “great place for a lateral thinker”.
“We had quite a lot of initial enquiries, but we only had two parties show up at the open homes.”
The property did need some work, he said. Someone suggested at the open home that it could be a good spot for a supermarket. It also had potential to be run as a function centre or even a home.
For sale for $379,000 in Pukemiro is 51 Joseph Street. Photo / Supplied
“You could live there at the moment if you wanted to. There’s plenty of rooms – there’s a principal office and then there’s a staff room with a bench and a stove and everything else that’s in there. The sick bay is a bit small, but there are a few rooms that could be used as bedrooms.”
Sherrard said Pukemiro was seen as an affordable area to live in. There are currently four properties listed for sale on OneRoof, including a 1811sqm section at 1509 Rotowaro Road for $150,000 and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house at 51 Joseph Street for $379,000.
The closest primary school is Glen Massey School and the closest secondary school is Huntly College.
Earlier this year, the former Richmond Park School, in Bader, in Hamilton, sold, after closing its doors in 2005. The school was in a run-down state, and the main classroom block, the library building and a sad-looking swimming pool on 9400sqm were included in the sale.
The “as is, where is” property had asbestos in the boarded-up buildings and had been pitched as a development or land-banking opportunity.
- Pukemiro School on John Avenue, in Pukemiro, is for sale, deadline closing September 4
