Appointments to new school property Board

Education Minister Erica Stanford has announced the Board of the New Zealand School Property Agency (NZSPA), marking the next step in the Government’s plan to overhaul school property and deliver better outcomes for schools, students, and taxpayers.

“The Government inherited a school property system bordering on crisis,” Ms Stanford says.

“We are fixing that. In the past two and a half years, we have significantly reduced the cost of a classroom by using repeatable designs and, as a result, nearly 1400 new classrooms have been fully funded.

“We have moved from a system bogged down by slow decision-making and overly ambitious designs to one that is delivering warm, dry classrooms for students and teachers.

“The newly appointed NZSPA Board will bring the commercial discipline, governance and delivery focus needed to ensure school property investment is better planned, better managed and better delivered.

“We have done a lot to change the way the system works, but there is more to do. The Board will continue to drive the reset and keep the focus firmly on delivery.

NZSPA was established through the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Act. The new Crown entity is part of the Government’s response to the Ministerial Inquiry into School Property and will be responsible for planning, building, maintaining, and administering the school property portfolio nationwide.

“This Board brings together the right mix of skills to deliver the reset schools have been asking for: better value for money, faster delivery, clearer communication, and learning environments that work for students, teachers and communities,” Ms Stanford says.

The Board will take up its role when NZSPA is established, replacing the Establishment Board that has supported the transition to the new model.

“I want to thank the Establishment Board for its important work. We are now moving from design to delivery, with a strong Board in place to drive the discipline, pace and accountability this portfolio needs,” Ms Stanford says.

The appointed Board members are:

Hon Murray McCully CNZM CF – Chair
Sarah Petersen – Deputy Chair
Mark Binns – Member
Rick Herd – Member
Sue McCormack – Member
Peter Alexander – Member

A Board focused on delivery

Hon Murray McCully brings the leadership and governance experience needed to drive the school property reset and hold the system to account.

He led the Ministerial Inquiry and chaired the Ministerial Advisory Group, so he understands the scale of change needed and the importance of delivering practical results for schools.

Commercial discipline and strong governance

Deputy Chair Sarah Petersen is a highly respected chartered accountant and governance professional with deep expertise in audit, risk and financial oversight. 

Her experience across education, public governance and regional leadership will help ensure NZSPA has the financial discipline and accountability schools and taxpayers expect.

Infrastructure expertise to get projects moving

Mark Binns brings significant commercial and infrastructure experience that will strengthen how major school property investments are planned, prioritised, and delivered.

His leadership across large-scale infrastructure, energy and commercial projects will support a sharper focus on delivery, cost control, and long-term asset performance.

Rick Herd brings more than 50 years’ experience in construction and engineering, including leading one of New Zealand’s largest construction companies.

His practical delivery experience and credibility with industry will be valuable as NZSPA lifts standards, improves certainty, and gets projects completed for schools.

Experience leading complex organisations

Sue McCormack is an experienced professional director with more than 25 years in governance roles and more than three decades in commercial and corporate law.

She brings expertise in infrastructure, dispute resolution, and leading large, complex organisations through change, including major rebuild programmes and complex stakeholder environments.

Property and investment capability

Peter Alexander brings significant property and investment expertise, with a strong track record across the public and private sectors.

His senior executive and governance experience across organisations including Kiwi Property Group, Auckland Airport and AMP Capital will strengthen NZSPA’s focus on asset management, investment discipline, and long-term planning. ...