Tauranga's first full immersion Maori secondary school will go ahead after the Environment Court thrown out an objection to its construction.

Building of Te Wharekura o Mauao will now start on a site in Bethlehem in early 2011.

A Google Earth image of where the wharekura will be built in Bethlehem.

Te Wharekura o Mauao board chairperson, Iria Whiu, is happy with the decision and says the school will have a positive influence in Tauranga.

'I think there was a lot of misunderstanding, but now that we have gone through that process we can move on.”

The wharekura will be located on an area of land on the corner of Bethlehem Road and Carmichael Road.

It has the capacity to educate 350 students, Year 7-13, and will open to students in 2012.

Iria says it was disappointing they had to fight a court battle to keep the school a reality.

She hopes the court's ruling will help resolve concerns in the community.

'It's time for us to live alongside each other. There's some people in the community who don't think like that.”