Residents react to planning proposal for Minarah College at Catherine Field

Hundreds of residents have shared their thoughts on plans to build an independent Islamic school in Catherine Field. Find out what they had to say.

Artist impression of the proposed Minarah College for Catherine Field.

Nearly 200 residents have spoken out against a plan to build a new Islamic independent school for southwest Sydney that could cater for more than 1500 students.

A planning proposal for Minarah College was on public exhibition last year and nearly 300 residents shared their thoughts on the new facility that would be a co-educational, independent K-12 school off Catherine Fields Road.

There were 295 submissions made to the state planning authority about the school, with 99 in support.

The remaining 199 submissions all objected to the development.

What is the development?

The new facility would be a co-educational Islamic independent school from Kindergarten to Year 12 situated off Catherine Fields Road and plans to house about 1580 students on the one campus.

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.

Artist impressions of Minarah College.

Meanwhile, the neighbouring Campbelltown City Council has an Islamic population of 11.6 per cent.

The capital investment value of the new school - meaning all the costs necessary to establish and operate the project - is estimated to be about $93.3m, therefore, the proposal is classified as a State Significant Development.

With construction occurring in five stages, the campus would also include an early learning centre, special education school and Out of School Hours care.

The proposed educational facility is connected to the Green Valley Islamic College and, according to development documents submitted to planning authorities, would create 150 jobs during construction and 140 jobs once operational.

Other facilities would include multifunctional learning spaces for the primary and the secondary school, a library, breakout spaces and school canteen, separate primary and secondary school halls, as well as other student and staff amenities.

Catherine Fields Road would be widened and have a new turning leane, and a bus bay is also part of the plan.

There would also be 138 on-site car parks, and 30 drop-off and pick-up spaces.

‘I would not feel safe’: Objections to new school

Resident Michelle Vassallo objected to the development and said there was “no place for such a large school”.

She also cited concerns about the quality of roads in the area.

“The roads around Catherine Field are known to flood and this would make it unacceptable location as teachers and students would not be able to access the school,” Ms Vassallo said.

“Also the census figures show that there is only a small percentage of Muslims in the local area, not enough to justify a Muslim school.

“Also my family and I would not feel safe if this school was to go ahead.”

Catherine Huitt has been a resident of Catherine Field for 26 years and wrote to the state planning authority to object to the development.

Springfield Road, Catherine Field.

She raised concerns and said the school would be “incompatible with the existing character” of the rural and semi-rural part of Catherine Field.

Ms Huitt questioned why there was a need for the school, and expressed issues with potential traffic issues.

“In the last six months there have been three major accidents on Springfield Road alone that I am aware of. All of them due to high speed,” she wrote.

“One of them being a fatality in front of my property.

“The next week on two separate occasions I witnessed vehicles losing control at speed and skidding in to neighbour‘s properties … extra traffic generated by a large school would be a major concern.”

‘High demand’ for faith-based schooling

Shameem Buksh from Eagle Vale wrote to the planning authority in support of the school and said it would be a positive addition to Catherine Field and southwest Sydney.

“Me and my wife have 14 grandchildren and would like to see our younger grandchildren to be enrolled into a local Islamic School that is close to home for convenience purposes,” he wrote.

“Currently, the Islamic Schools that are open in the Macarthur region are crowded and by having more Islamic schools will cater the growing younger population.”

Minarah College could cater for 1500 students in Kindergarten to Year 12 including an Early Learning Centre and Special Education.

The Muslim League of NSW Inc also wrote in support of the new school, and said Western Sydney families deserve to have convenient access to quality education and the proposed campus would meet this need.

“The new school would be a positive addition to Catherine Field and the broader Western Sydney community, where Islamic faith‐based schools are in high demand,” the organisation wrote.

“MLNSW believes that a high quality of learning the proposed School will offer to students of all faiths, as it currently does in Green Valley Campus, will greatly contribute to development of human capital and consequentially greater participation in the workforce in Camden.

“Hence, the proposed School will be a great asset for the Catherine Field community, which will also be given the opportunity to use some of the facilities such as playfields at the new campus.”

Following the submissions to the state planning authority, the project has moved to the next stage where developers have a chance to respond to the issues raised.