Thousands back plea to stop school at historic Scott’s Farm, Ripley
Thousands of Ipswich-area locals have signed the latest petition to stop plans to carve off part of a 130-year-old farm for a future school. The farm has been an idyllic retreat for community groups for decades and is a vital wildlife corridor, supporters say.
Ipswich
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Thousands of Ipswich-area locals have signed the latest petition to stop plans to carve off part of a 130-year-old, sixth generation farm for a future school.
Scott’s Farm in Ripley has been an idyllic retreat for Scouts, Girl Guides and other community groups for decades and a vital wildlife corridor.
The Scott family lived in 10 houses on the 120ha property, one of the last working farms in the area.
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 own the property, said they had tried repeatedly to get answers from Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) and Education Queensland, as recently as Christmas, after learning a “Priority Development Area’’ now covered the property.
They feared part of the farm would be compulsorily acquired for a future school to service the booming growth corridor, in particular the nearby Ecco Ripley mega-development.
Japanese-backed developer Sekisui House has unveiled a staged, 10-year plan for a huge town centre with highrise, offices, retail, retirement living and housing.
“Developers have been trying to buy this parcel of land for years. The answer is always no and always will be no,’’ Ms Lowe said.
She said the first they heard of the plans was in 2022 when her father received a letter from EDQ, with a map buried on the last page, calling for input on the Priority Development Area.
They were given just five days to respond.
After some detective work they discovered EDQ had seemingly randomly “put a dot on a map’’, with a school indicated on a steep section of the farm.
The location would cut it in half, with infrastructure such as cattleyards blocked off from access to Bundamba Creek.
Ms Lowe said the original homestead, “Nan’s House’’, as well as numerous large trees would have to be demolished if a school went ahead at that site.
She questioned why Sekisui House’s 12,000-lot housing estate was approved without provision for a single school and why a future school location had now suddenly appeared, on their farm.
So far, the change.org petition to save the farm has attracted 7459 signatures with 2000 added in the past few weeks.
“The cattle will have no access to the creek for water if the Department of Education resumes the land for a school,’’ Ms Lowe said on her Facebook page Save Scott’s Farm - This Is Our Home!
“Unfortunately, we still have not heard from EDQ or EQ. We have requested to remove the farm from the PDA, before Christmas.
“We also requested more information in regards to why Ecco did not have schools allocated to it when first approved, as per planning rules.
“Poor planning has put us in the situation.’’
Ms Lowe said there had so far been “zero stakeholder engagement’’ with her family from Education Queensland.
“EDQ has, on more than one occasion, stated it’s not planned until 2040 (saying) ‘why are you worrying about it now’?’’ she claimed.
A Department of State Development and Infrastructure spokeswoman said EDQ worked closely with the Department of Education to plan for future growth and meet the education needs of local children and young people in its PDAs.
“The identification of land within the lot known as Scott’s Farm for a future primary school occurred as part of a comprehensive land use and infrastructure planning exercise for the Ripley Valley Priority Development Area (PDA),’’ she said.
“It is one of 16 primary school sites identified within the Ripley Valley PDA to service projected growth of over 130,000 people.
“The Queensland Government continues to consider the Scott’s Farm correspondence regarding the inclusion and location of the land.
“EDQ anticipates a formal response on the matter will be provided this month.”
Education Queensland issued a response to media in which it said “engagement with the landowner occurs via EDQ or directly with the department if a meeting is sought (but) at this time no meeting has been sought with the department’’.
Ms Lowe said that was false and EQ had never approached them, despite nine requests from the family to the department and EDQ since 2022.
EQ also said in the media statement that current planning indicated a school on the site might not be needed until after 2034 and “taking of land is not required until closer to that time’’.
“Decisions to acquire property are not made lightly and the development will always engage with developers and EDQ to ensure approropriate consideration is given to property rights and compensation.’’
It added that the Ripley Valley PDA was projected to growth by 130,000 people and the number of new schools needed was calculated from projects provided by EDQ.
But Ms Lowe said the Ecco Ripley project was approved more than 15 years ago with no provision for any schools.
The site of the school on their land appeared to have been randomly chosen with no concern for its impact on the farm.
She said the family were not developers and had made it clear they did not wish to sell.
A roll call of Ipswich mayoral and division candidates in the election this Saturday, March 16, have also promised to do “everything they could’’ to protect the property.
They included mayoral hopefuls Peter Robinson and David Martin, as well as every division one candidate.
Division one candidate Jacob Madsen said EDQ officials had previously assured him that the Scott family would have to agree to any sale, should a school be required in the future.
“It’s time to start planning that 15th school elsewhere, on a parcel of land where the community will support a potential primary school,’’ he said.
The Scotts bought 40ha in 1893 and have added to the holding on Fischer Rd since then, running it as a dairy and cattle property at various times.
Community groups have used the site for a century including for church picnics, scout camps and budget rural holidays and during school breaks.
Much of the farm has not been cleared, with some trees now more than 300 years old.
It has become a refuge for koalas, kangaroos, sugar gliders, possums and other fauna and flora and has acted as a safe corridor for wildlife displaced by near housing development.
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