Long-awaited new Brisbane school pushed back to 2024

A new round of consultation starts next month on the first inner-west primary school in 60 years, pushing back its opening date.

The State Government has listened to vocal opposition from westside residents and announced a second round of consultation on the location of a long-awaited primary school.

But the move will push back the starting date to 2024, potentially increasing pressure on already overcrowded local schools despite a drop in enrolments this year.

Education Minister Grace Grace also bowed to massive pressure and formally agreed to add two new locations to the Government’s short list.

Ms Grace said her department would finalise the location by the end of the year.

The Department’s initial preference, co-locating the 900-student facility on the Indooroopilly State High School (ISHS) site, was met with a petition and well-organised media campaign.

Suggestions to build the new school on the Toowong “smart state’’ academy site, and relocate its students to Coorparoo, whipped up even more anger.

The QASMT site. Picture: Richard Walker

Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) parents staged a peak-hour protest and presented a petition to state Parliament with more than 4000 signatures.

Ms Grace announced this afternoon that a former SES depot at Perrin Park, Toowong, and the disused Toowong Bowls Club, would be added to its shortlist.

“The Government is working with the local community to make a fully-informed decision when it comes to the location of this new school,” she said.

“Initial consultation has identified the former Toowong Bowls Club and neighbouring Perrin Park as a potential site, along with using part of the Indooroopilly State High School site.

“The start date for the school has also been extended to 2024 to respond to the community’s calls for more time for consultation before a decision.

“The pressure on local schools has also eased slightly with state school enrolment numbers this year slightly lower than forecast, which is in consistent with trends nationally.”

QASMT parents protest at suggestions the new school be built on the academy site.

The high-performing Ironside State School in St Lucia recorded a 1 per cent drop in enrolments, but is still so crowded students have to take lunch breaks in shifts.

The State Government has allocated $65 million to build the new state primary school, for Prep to Year 6.

A new round of consultation has also been announced, from June 1, with drop-in sessions at Perrin Park and Indooroopilly State High School and an online survey available via the project web page.

Residents said Lambert Rd in Indooroopilly was already choked with traffic and the proposal to site the school on the ISHS campus was met with anger by the local soccer club and three other nearby schools.

Local state Greens MP, Michael Berkman, who has called for the Government to take a breath and get the process right rather than rush it, welcomed this afternoon’s announcement.

“This is a huge win for my community - we’ve been asking for months now that the consultation be reopened, additional information released and alternative sites considered,’’ he said.

Michael Berkman. Picture: David Clark

“After my office helped mobilise almost 1000 submissions on the proposal, I’m so pleased the Department has listened.

“This feels like an acknowledgment that my community is powerful and they deserve to be heard.

“Based on locals’ feedback, I told the Department a few months ago that I’d rather we do this right than just do it quickly, so I support pushing the opening date back by one year.

“However, it’ll mean schools facing severe overcrowding, like Toowong, Ironside and ISS, will need urgent stopgap measures until then, and I look forward to working with the Department on those.

“I’ll need to speak more with my constituents before I take a firm position on the Toowong Bowlo site, but from my consultation so far this is a popular option as long as it doesn’t compromise green space and adequately addresses traffic and flooding concerns.’’

Mr Berkman said residents had told him they wanted the Government to buy land for the new school, rather than putting it on existing school sites like ISHS or QASMT.

“I’m looking forward to seeing allocation in the upcoming State Budget to acquire new land for this school and have already written to the Treasurer requesting this.”