Developers, investors invited to work with government on new westside school site

Developers and investors will be invited to work with the government to identify land or buildings which can be repurposed for a stalled westside primary school. It comes after two years of failed attempts to find a site locals can accept.

Artist's impression of the "floodproof'' school buildings that were to have been built at the old bowls club and (inset) Michael Berkman and floodwater at nearby Perrin Park.

Developers and investors will be invited to work with the government to identify land or buildings which can be repurposed for a stalled westside primary school.

The move is extremely rare. The only other example in southeast Queensland believed to have occurred in recent years was a school developer Lendlease is building at the Shoreline housing estate in Redlands.

Education Minister Grace Grace announced the new school, which would be the first in Brisbane’s inner-west in six decades, during the 2020 election campaign.

But every site proposed so far has run into huge community opposition.

Plans to co-locate the primary school on Indooroopilly State High School’s campus raised major traffic concerns about Lambert Rd.

The Toowong Bowls Club was also put forward, but was floodprone.

Suggestions the school could be built on the Queensand Academy For Science, Mathematics and Technology campus at Toowong were howled down by parents.

About 10 other sites have also been canvassed by Education Queensland.

Artist's impression of the "floodproof'' school buildings that were proposed for the former Toowong bowls club site.

Last year, Mr Berkman floated the idea of partially building a new school over the railway line at Taringa near Hungry Jack’s.

Mr Berkman asked Ms Grace in Parliament on Thursday, October 12, to give a progress update.

She revealed for the first time that a register of interest process and website would be launched from Monday, inviting the private sector to help find a suitable site.

“The department is doing extensive work. I can announce that there is a new way, because we want to tease out possibilities... with a register of interests (ROI) process to identify options for a future primary school in the inner west,’’ she said.

“It is a new way that we can look at this... about how we might be able to deliver something in the inner city that is a little bit different to normal.

“The ROI process will invite developers and investors to come forward, register their interest and work with us to deliver a schooling solution for the inner west.

“This could include purchasing land only... or even repurposing existing buildings for educational purposes. We would like to hear alternative solutions.’’

Michael Berkman. Picture: NcaNewsWire/Glenn Campbell

Ms Grace said the public would have an opportunity for input on any new masterplan and school design.

Mr Berkman said he was sceptical of “what sounds like a potential public-private partnership to deliver a state school’’.

“Public education should be the work of government, not tied up in private, particularly profit-making enterprise,’’ he said.

“Having said that, I really want to see progress on the new school.

“I’m glad to hear the Government is still committed to delivering this project and that there will be public ROI process.’’

Flooding in 2011 at Perrin Park, next to the former proposed school site in Toowong. Picutre: Carolyn Smith Bardon Resident

He said the Government should acquire private land using the significant Budget surplus or taxes on big banks, property developers and gas corporations.

“Ideally, that land should be as close as possible to where the former Taringa State School was before being sold off (by the former Bligh Labor government),’’ he said.

Ms Grace said that since Covid student numbers in the area had not grown as fast as had been forecast, which had taken off pressure at Ironside and Indooroopilly state schools.

Those two schools also had put in place strict enrolment management plans.

The former Toowong Bowls Club. Picture: Steve Pohlner

A new administration/learning building at Indooroopilly State School and more classrooms at

Toowong State School would be built, while catchment boundary changes would come into effect next year at Chapel Hill, Kenmore and Fig Tree Pocket state schools, taking further pressure off the Indooroopilly/St Lucia/Toowong/Taringa area.

Ms Grace said the government had listened to the community and decided not to proceed with the Toowong bowls club site after concerns about flooding, a nearby bat colony and a sewage pumping station.

“We had a site. We discussed this with the Member (Mr Berkman) and with the community and quite clearly we made a decision that it was not a suitable site for us to continue with, which was a bit sad.

“There was flooding that occurred in that area. Once that occurred we made the call, after listening to the community and to the local member, that that was not the appropriate way to go forward.’’

The ROI process will close on November 27.