NSW Budget: $2.6b for four brand new schools, upgrades

Southwest Sydney residents will finally receive a long-awaited new primary school as part of a $2.6 billion injection into school infrastructure in the Minns government’s budget next week.

NSW is set to get four new schools as part of a $2.6 billion injection into infrastructure.

Southwest Sydney residents will finally receive a long-awaited new primary school in Emerald Hills, as part of a $2.6 billion injection into school infrastructure in the Minns government’s budget next week.

Western Sydney will get two brand new schools, Emerald Hills primary school near Leppington and a new primary school at Grantham Farm near Riverstone. The budget, which will be handed down next Tuesday, will also include money for two new schools on the south coast, a primary school in West Dapto and high school in Wilton.

The new schools combined will deliver around 140 new classrooms to cater for 2,500 students.

The new Emerald Hills school will be completed in time for 550 students to walk through the doors in Term one 2028.

Leppington residents have been calling for new school in the area for years, which has been identified as one of the top ten areas for student growth in the state.

Premier Chris Minns said the new schools would be built in Sydney’s rapidly growing regions. Photo: Gaye Gerard

The $2.6 billion will also include major school upgrades for multiple schools across the state, including at Thornton Public School near Newcastle. Excelsior Public School, Ermington West Public School and two schools in Rydalmere will also have major upgrades, as will Newington Public School and Northern Beaches Secondary College.

The $2.6 billion which will be spent this financial year makes up a total of $9 billion that will be spent on school infrastructure over the next four years.

In the last two years construction has commenced on more than 25 new and upgraded schools across the state, with another 30 set to begin before the end of the year. This includes 14 new schools, which will be built within the next two years.

The NSW government will spend $2.6 billion on four new schools and major school infrastructure upgrades this coming financial year.

Premier Chris Minns said it was critical to build new schools in the state’s rapidly growing regions.

“We’re continuing our record investment in public education with new funding for schools in the communities that need them most, fast-growing suburbs that were overlooked for far too long,” he said.

“New and upgraded schools are essential, but nothing matters more than having a great teacher in every classroom.”

Many of these schools will also have new public preschools built on the grounds at the same time, which form part of the 100 new preschools the NSW government has promised to deliver by 2027.

Acting Education Minister Courtney Houssos said the new preschools located in the school would be “a game-changer” for families in Western Sydney who struggle to find child care.

“For more than a decade, the former Liberal National Government failed to keep pace with

population growth in these suburbs and towns,” she said.

“Our investment also includes new, fee-free public preschools co-located with public schools as part of our commitment to build 100 public preschools across NSW. These will be a game-changer for families in suburbs where access to high quality, affordable early education is scarce.”
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Originally published as NSW Budget: $2.6b for four brand new schools, upgrades