‘Getting out of control’: Calls for new public high school in western Brisbane rejected

Brisbane parents say they are being forced to fork out big bucks for private education or send their children on long commutes after their calls for a new school in their area was “rejected” by the state government.

Western Brisbane families say they’re forced to send their children on “ridiculous” commutes to school or fork out thousands in private education following “rejected” calls for a new public high school.

Repeated calls from parents in Moggill, Bellbowrie and surrounding suburbs have been ignored by the state government which insists the region is adequately supplied.

Mother of three Cathy Conallin lives at Bellbowrie which is part of the Kenmore State High School catchment, but to send her kids there would mean a 30-40 minute drive in peak traffic.

Ms Conallin said the sheer size of Kenmore and its 2000-strong student body was too large to suit her children.

The only other public option for her and other families is the similarly-sized Ipswich State High School in the opposite direction.

“If we had one it would make our choice so much easier,” Ms Conallin said.

“We aren’t getting smaller, our population is growing, there’s so many new subdivisions with young families, it’s getting out of control.”

Local mums Cathy Conallin and Emma Mitchell calling for a new state high school to be built in the Moggill area. Picture: Liam Kidston

More than 1300 people have signed a parliamentary petition calling for a new public school to service families in Moggill, Bellbowrie, Anstead, Pinjarra Hills, Karana Downs and Mt Crosby.

Ms Conallin currently has two children at Moggill State School and her eldest at West Moreton Anglican College where annual fees are about $10,000 per student.

“West Mac is definitely more affordable but it’s still going to be about $30,000 a year for the three kids. If we had a high school here they would go there,” she said.

“Education is one of the biggest parts of what we do as parents and I want to make that right choice, so while there is no local high school we have had to go private.”

Private school however, is not an option for fellow parent Emma Mitchell.

“In my position I have three kids at Moggill State School currently but I can’t afford private school,” Ms Mitchell said.

“One of my kids has some learning difficulties and anxiety. I would worry about him being at such a big school. All the mums I talk to would love to have a school out here.”

Planning is underway for several new public secondary schools at Collingwood Park – which is close to the Moggill region, and at Park Ridge, Springfield and at Greater Flagstone.

Moggill MP Christian Rowan says eight years of calling for a new school have been “rejected” by the state government. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

Moggill MP Dr Christian Rowan said community calls had been ongoing for about eight years and had been consistently “rejected” by the state government.

“It is simply not good enough that an additional investment in high school infrastructure, including comprehensive planning for a new school for our community, is not being delivered,” Dr Rowan said.

“An additional high school to service residents across the region must be planned for and delivered for local families.”

The department of education undertakes ongoing planning for new schools through engagement with the Queensland Schools Planning Reference Committee.

A department spokeswoman said the committee considers population trends, current and future residential development, and existing school capacity when making recommendations for new schools.

It also organises new school demand mapping meetings with high-growth local government areas.

At the last mapping meeting in November 2019, no new schools were recommended for the Western Brisbane suburbs due to “limited” projected population growth in the areas.

“Further detailed planning undertaken by the department supports this position,” the spokeswoman said.

“The suburbs are currently serviced by Kenmore and Ipswich SHS which have sufficient capacity for anticipated enrolments in the short, medium and long term.

“Projected future in-catchment enrolment growth can be accommodated within the existing school capacity and through future infrastructure growth projects.”