Catherine Field’s Minarah College plans under assessment with Department of Planning

The fate of a proposed new Islamic independent school hangs in the balance as a Sydney council stands firmly against the plans, claiming it’s for “private benefit at the expense of the wider community”.

Artist impressions of Minarah College at 268-278 Catherine Fields Rd, Catherine Fields

The fate of a proposed Islamic independent school hangs in the balance as a local council stands firmly against the plans, claiming the education facility would be for “private benefit at the expense of the wider community”.

If approved, the $93m Minarah College would cater kindergarten to Year 12 on a campus catering for 1580 students off Catherine Field Rd, Catherine Field.

Camden Council, in a letter sent to the Department of Planning in April, confirmed it did not support the development as it wasn’t in the public interest, noting the number of objections and substantiated concerns raised by the community.

“The proposed development is of an excessive scale and is an inappropriate use for a rural or unsewered property,” their response states.

“The [developer] is seeking to develop relatively cheap rural land prior to precinct planning or rezoning. This provides a private benefit for the [developer] at the expense of the wider community.”

The proposed school would cater for 1500 students.

When Camden Council was asked if the stance on the proposal was maintained, a spokeswoman said the concerns had been sent to the Planning Department.

“While council strongly supports the establishment of new schools in appropriate locations to cater for its growing community, the site on which Minarah College is proposed is an unsewered rural property with limited infrastructure to support a school population,” the spokeswoman said.

Artist impression of Minarah College

According to the latest census data, Camden Council has an Islamic population of 4.8 per cent which is higher than both the state and national average.

Green Valley Islamic College Ltd has submitted its response to the concerns raised with the Planning Department, stating the proposal is in the public’s interest as the area was booming with a number of residential subdivisions and development projects.

The planning proposal for Minarah College was on public exhibition last year, and there were 295 submissions made to the state planning authority about the school proposed by Green Valley Islamic College Ltd, with 99 in support.

Some residents raised concerns about the roads and capacity of the area to host a school of that size, with one resident, Michelle Vassallo, saying she would not feel safe if it was to go ahead.

Some submissions said there was a demand for the school, with the Muslim League of NSW Inc. saying western Sydney families deserve convenient access to quality education, and the proposed campus would meet this need.

After initial assessments and public feedback, the Planning Department asked the developer to address concerns about the site’s ability to accommodate the proposed development over five stages due to the lack of essential services and infrastructure needed to support up to 1520 students and a 60-place child care facility.

When it completes its assessment the department and will make its recommendation to the Independent Planning Commission, which will decide whether to give the the development the green light.