Willoughby MP Tim James has said that he will ‘continue to fight for quality public education’ following the news that the State Government has cancelled plans to build new schools in Chatswood and St Leonards.
According to Mr James, at a Budget Estimates meeting on 24 February, officials stated they would not be pursuing a 1000-place primary school on the former Chatswood Metro dive site, on which over $25 million had already been spent on planning.
On the future of the new preschool to Year 12 St Leonards Education Precinct, Shadow Education Minister Sarah Mitchell quizzed officials, asking: “You’re saying there’s enough space in existing schools around St Leonards that you don’t at this stage need a primary school or high school there?” The response – “That’s exactly right.”
Mr James deemed the decision’ shocking and short-sighted.’
“It is a complete betrayal by the Minns Government of our children and public education in Willoughby,” said Mr James, who said that several local public schools are at capacity and turning away students.
“The prominent and large government-owned site represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide a lasting public benefit,” said Mr James. “Instead, it now risks being turned over to developers to become another ultra-high rise apartment building – residents of whom will need a new school.”
It was confirmed that the Government had no plan to provide a new high school at St Leonards, despite the existing Cammeraygal High School being at capacity and sending local students to Mosman.
“Chatswood, St Leonards and surrounding suburbs are seeing significant population growth with even more to come under the government’s high-density housing drive,” said Mr James.
“With tens of thousands of new dwellings coming, the time to build the new school is now.”
