New 2.5m, speared fences go up around Qld state schools

Prison-like spear-tipped black fences have been built around dozens of Queensland state schools, including one which is fighting to stop locals’ dirty habit.

Kedron State High School has recently installed a new security fence worth about $1.2m that the community are calling a new prison. Picture: Josh Woning

Prison-like spear-tipped black fences have been built around dozens of Queensland state schools, with millions of dollars forked out by the state government to beef up security.

Kedron State High School recently became the latest to install a 2.5m tall fence worth $1.2m which neighbouring community members have labelled as a new detention centre.

The Courier-Mail understands the school had been the target of recent vandalism and had issues of dog poo being left on its ovals by community members.

The Department of Education confirmed 58 Queensland state schools had undertaken works to install new security fences between 2020 and 2023, based on reported security incidents.

A department spokeswoman said a security incident is an event where an unauthorised person has committed an unauthorised act at a school. It includes unauthorised entry to school grounds including evidence found of persons after hours, malicious damage, break and enters or forced entry and arson or attempted arson.

The fence surrounding Kedron State High School. Picture: Josh Woning

Following a review of school security incidents, a department spokeswoman said about $1.2m was made available for Kedron SHS’s new fence through its security upgrades program.

The spokeswoman said a school’s security risk ratings assessment process is conducted annually, and based on reported incidents from the past two years.

“A school security rating is attributed to a school after this process has been completed and is used by the department to inform programs and strategies,” she said.

A Kedron resident said members of the community said the fence made the school look like a detention centre.

“Further security fences may be built taking into consideration a school’s security rating or other strategies applied.”

Kedron resident James Stewart neighbours the school and said members of the community were calling it a new detention centre.

“It’s this eight and a half foot, black steel fence, with spear tips. We tried to nudge it over as a joke but it’s impenetrable,” Mr Stewart said.

“It’s a metal monstrosity.”

The fences are tall and spiked to help curb crime within school grounds after-hours.

Mr Stewart said many of the neighbouring families used the school ovals on weekends as a place to kick a ball and relax.

“It’s such a lovely community space, with goalposts, pine trees, families would just cruise in,” he said.

Community members on social media labelled the fence as over the top while others supported the move.

“I’d like to see the risk assessment process that led to such expensive nonsense. Most people don’t know how to do a proper risk assessment,” one commenter said.

“Looking more and more like a prison,” another wrote.

“It’s a crime prevention fence. Most city schools are getting them,” said another.

Workers installing the fence at Kedron. Picture: Josh Woning

The department spokeswoman said it supports and encourages the use of school facilities among the community, when they’re not required for school purposes.

“It is an established practice to allow the department’s facilities to be available for use outside of school hours by local communities, with the appropriate controls in place,” she said.

Funding has also been made available for an additional five fences to be installed in 2023 and 2024, fences used to maintain the safety of staff, students and facilities.

Other state schools to have installed similar fences in recent years include Browns Plains, Mabel Park, Park Ridge, Cleveland, Victoria Point, Redland Bay, Park Ridge and Cavendish Rd.