Playford Council in landmark deal to share new super school at Angle Vale
A northern council has struck a landmark deal to share a new $104 million super school with the Education Department by using its facilities for sport and community events.
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Playford Council will sign a formal agreement to share facilities at a new $104 million super school.
Elected members met behind closed doors on Tuesday to agree to spend an undisclosed amount to use two football ovals, soccer fields and all-weather courts for basketball, netball and tennis.
The council also will get access to a gymnasium and community centre.
It is the first time a council has entered into a deal where facilities at a public school are made available for public use during weekends and at night.
Playford Mayor Glenn Docherty said the council was “pleased to be able to work positively with the State Government in leveraging new infrastructure to provide for a local, growing community”.
“Joint use facilities are the way of the future, reduce costs for all parties and also create community hubs in local suburbs,” he said.
“The growth planning we have undertaken over previous years has positioned the council to be able to realise this opportunity”.
Playford Council has been heavily involved in the planning for the new “birth to Year 12” school on Riverbanks Rd, Angle Vale.
The project is being managed by a private consortium and the Education Department in a public-private partnership.
Two other super schools are being built at Aldinga and Whyalla.
The schools will provide childcare facilities and educational resources for students from reception, middle school and senior school.
The Angle Vale school initially will cater for 75 childcare spaces, 100 special school students and 1500 students from Reception to Year 12.
It will have the potential to expand to a total of 2084 students.
The school will be built on a former market garden compulsorily acquired late last year by the State Government.
A recent State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) hearing was told Playford Council had responsibility for upgrading Riverbanks Rd, which runs adjacent to the site and building a new road on its northern perimeter.
SA Water would soon start upgrading mains water and sewerage connections.
Planning consultant Greg Vincent, from MasterPlan, told the hearing the discussions with Playford Council about community use of the school’s facilities were well advanced.
“Legal agreements are being signed with the council, including over the road,” he said.
Mr Vincent said the school was expected to take 18 to 22 months to build, with its opening scheduled for 2022.
Nearby residents last month raised various concerns with SCAP, telling its members that they regularly shot firearms on their properties to kill pests such as foxes, feral cats and corellas.
The residents also said the school was at risk of spray drift from pesticides they used on their properties, mini dust storms known as “dust devils” and bushfires.