Minister to review plans for school on Scott’s Farm, Ripley site

A 130-year-old family farm used by Ipswich locals for decades as a retreat may yet be saved from a school development. It comes as the family launches a last-ditch petition to save their home.

A 130-year-old, sixth-generation Ipswich-area farm used by generations of community groups as a rural retreat could yet be saved from a proposed new primary school development.

The education and state development ministers have offered to review other sites for Scott’s Farm in Ripley, family spokeswoman Belinda Lowe said.

In the meantime she has appealed for locals to get behind a new government petition to maintain pressure on Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), closing on June 9, after they were told a change.org petition they launched could not be officially recognised.

Scott’s Farm, which also was a vital wildlife corridor and a buffer between new housing and noxious industries in the Swanbank/new Chum area, became an eleciton issue at the March local government poll.

The Scott family has lived in 10 houses on the 120ha property, one of the last working farms in the area.

John and Eric Scott in the mid 1950s sitting atop a load of hay on the same Linn tractor that they still use on the farm today. Picture: Contributed

Design of the Ripley Town Centre Masterplan. The fast-growing area needs more schools.

There were presently two schools in the Ripley Valley, but 16 projected to be built by 2041.

Belinda Lowe, whose father John and uncle Eric owned the property, said in some recent good news the family had received a letter from State Development Minister Grace Grace confirming EDQ and Education Queensland would review other suitable locations for the school.

However, there still had been no correspondence from the Education Minister Di Farmer’s office.

“We’re very hopeful the review will come back with the school being relocated from our farm and placed elsewhere in the Ripley Valley PDA (Priority Development Area), but there’s no guarantees,” she said.

“There is heaps of greenfield land available in the Ripley Valley and there’s still plenty of time for them to plan for the placement of the school in another location”.

Harvest time on the far. Picture: Save Scott's Farm

QR code for the Scott family's new state government petition.

"Nan's House'', one of the oldest structures on the property, dating to the 1800s. Picture: Save Scott's Farm - This Is Our Home!

Local state MP Jennifer Howard also told Ms Lowe she had spoken to Ms Farmer and Ms Grace Grace, the former Education Minister.

Ms Lowe said the family had also recently met with local federal MP Shayne Neumann, Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding, two Ipswich City Council planners and state officials, among others.

“Shayne Neumann, Council and the state politicians are all fully supportive of saving the farm,” she said.

“Mr Neumann personally thanked dad and uncle Eric for the picnics he attended at Scott’s Farm when he was young.

“We have amassed more than 8600 signatures on a Change.org petition to save our farm, but unfortunately the Minister of Education will not take that into account when making their decision about the school.

“We have had to establish a government petition which will be presented to parliament shortly after the closing date on June 9.’’

John & Eric Scott from Scott's Farm Ripley

A Department of Education spokesman confirmed officials had been to the farm and met the family last month and a fortnight ago.

“DoE considers a range of factors in planning for new schools, including population growth and capacity within the existing school network,’’ he said.

“Facilitating existing schools and any new school (is also considered) to maintain sufficient enrolment capacity to continue to deliver a broad, modern curriculum to students.

“The number of future schools planned within the Ripley Valley PDA were derived from projections provided by EDQ in 2020.

The yellow circle labelled 'PS004', located at Scott's Farm, is where a primary school is proposed to be built. Picture: Ripley Valley PDA

“It informed the number of schools required, based on DoE’s desired standards of service.

“DoE regularly reviews its planning to meet the needs of the current and future community.’’

He said a 2022 review identified a shortfall of schools across the Ripley Valley.

Extra sites were identified for three state primary and two state high schools.

Guidelines included one new state primary school per 3000 new dwellings and growth in the PDA was projected to require a total of 16 primary school sites and seven secondary school sites.