The Ministry of Education has approved the final design plan for the $21.5 million primary school, destined for a site at Scurr Heights, next to Mount Aspiring College.
Wanaka Primary School (WPS) board of trustees chairman Pete Bullen said the ministry's approval was the last hurdle for school supporters to clear and work on the new facility could now begin.
"It has been a long process to get to this point. Now, with contract works about to start, the school and board can approach the planning stage [for our] relocation."
Pupils could be in the new school as early as September 2010 if projected construction deadlines stay on schedule and the relocation goes to plan.
The new school's design plan was specifically engineered and incorporated as many environmentally sustainable features as the budget would allow, Mr Bullen said.
Buildings will incorporate innovative features of contemporary classroom design such as CO2 sensors - to allow automated air flow adjustment - and heat-transfer systems to economically control temperatures inside.
A specialised eco pod has also been incorporated into the design to act as a teaching tool, he said.
"The end result will be something that the community will be proud of and serve the area well.
"Wanaka is going to end up with a state-of-the-art school designed around a 21st-century learning curriculum," Mr Bullen said.
Southern construction building consortium ABL has been contracted to build the new school. An earthworks and building programme is expected to take 18 months.
