DLA Piper in Australia and DLA Phillips Fox New Zealand have acted in the first public private partnership to reach financial close in New Zealand. The Hobsonville Point Schools PPP is a landmark project involving the design, construction and financing of a primary and secondary school, together with their maintenance for a period of 25 years.
The trans-Tasman DLA team acted for Hawkins Construction Limited, one of New Zealand’s largest privately owned construction and infrastructure companies. Hawkins will be responsible for design and construction of the new schools. It will be the first time that schools in New Zealand will be built under a public private partnership. The primary school is scheduled to open at the beginning of 2013 and the secondary school early 2014.
The project team was led by DLA Piper in Australia Finance & Projects partner Alex Guy, with support from Brisbane-based senior associate Kim Broadbent, DLA Phillips Fox New Zealand partner Brian Bray and senior associate Paula Nicolaou.
Alex Guy said: “We are proud to have acted for Hawkins in New Zealand’s first public private partnership to reach financial close. The award process was efficiently handled by Government, taking only eleven months from commencement of procurement. There are a number of other PPP deals potentially in the pipeline for New Zealand, including a hospital in Christchurch, and the timely financial close of this deal sends a positive message to the market.”
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