$3.5 billion blitz for western Sydney schools as Labor spends up on election promise

More than 60 schools will be either built or upgraded as part of Labor’s budget blitz to help meet a shortfall of schools in Sydney’s west. Find out where they will be located.

NSW Education Minister Prue Car said Western Sydney was crying out for more schools. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

More than 60 schools will either be built or upgraded as part of a $3.5 billion education blitz to be announced in the NSW budget later this month, but the previous government has claimed credit for nine of the “re-announcements”.

The school building blitz will focus on Sydney’s western growth areas where populations have ballooned in the last decade.

Leppington’s population grew from 3,498 to 9,423 between 2016 and 2021, while other key growth areas in the northwest including Schofields, Tallawong and Nirimba Fields had grown by 370 per cent to 23,415 in that time.

The government will roll out the $3.5 billion package over the next four years, with work to include at least 15 new schools at suburbs including Sydney Olympic Park, Tallawong, Jordan Springs, Gregory Hills and Liverpool.

NSW Premier Chris Minns on Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE: Monique Harmer

The funding will also go towards upgrading new schools with extra classrooms with Austral, Cecil Hills, Condell Park, Dundas, Eagle Vale, Kingswood, Leppington, Northmead and The Ponds.

Labor has insisted their education cash splash is $500 million higher than what the former Coalition government promised for Western Sydney.

The school’s funding blitz is likely to be one of the key announcements to come from Labor’s state budget, to be revealed late this month, and comes amid a backdrop of Labor warning other major initiatives could be axed in a bid to balance the books.

A decision on the future of major transport projects, like Metro West, has been batted back until after the state election as the government awaits a review of the projects.

Premier Chris Minns said the new schools would fill gaping holes in education for Sydney’s rapidly growing fringe and that managing the state’s “finances responsibly” was a priority.

Prue Car, NSW Deputy Premier, and NSW Premier, Chris Minns, during a visit to John Palmer Public School, The Ponds, for the first day of term three earlier this year. More than 60 schools will be built or upgraded as part of their budget commitment. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“Thousands of families moved into suburbs like Schofields, Tallawong, Nirimba Fields and The Ponds on the promise of local schools for their children, but the former government never delivered them,” the Premier said.

“We are a government with a clear focus – managing our finances responsibly so we can provide support when you need it most and improve the essential services that we all rely on, now and into the future.”

The NSW Government expects to hand down its findings from the Enrolment Growth Audit later this year, which was started in a bid to get a better understanding of where future public schools will be needed as Sydney’s outskirts grow rapidly.

Deputy Premier and education Minister Prue Car said the new schools came after years of “Western Sydney’s rapidly growing communities … crying out for more public schools for young families”.

“This Labor government understands how important it is for all young families to have access to a local public school, where children can get a high quality, education without a lengthy commute or expensive fees,” she said.

Sod has been turned on two of the 15 new schools and some are in the design phase, but for others sites will need to be selected and the planning process is only now underway.

The opposition accused Chris Minns of “cherrypicking” projects in Western Sydney while failing to disclose how much would be spent on school infrastructure statewide, and re-announcing nine builds where funding was allocated under the previous government.

Ms Car said the government intended to have all 15 open by 2027, but shadow education spokeswoman Sarah Mitchell cast doubt on the ambitious timeline, and said new builds take an average of five years from announcement to completion.

“I think it shows the inexperience of a government who really hasn’t had to deliver major infrastructure projects before.

“The devil’s in the detail, and that’s what we’ll be looking closely at.”