New plans revealed to turn Sydney Metro site in Chatswood into 1000-student primary school

Plans to turn a Sydney Metro construction site into a 1000-student primary school have been revealed, with the development set to potentially include unit housing.

A photo of the site.

A new primary school is one step closer to being built at Chatswood in a move to keep up with soaring population growth and overcrowding at existing campuses.

NSW Government tender documents reveal Property NSW is seeking to partner with a developer to build a new public primary school on the current Sydney Metro construction site adjacent to the north shore rail line at Chatswood.

The site – located at the corner of the Pacific Hwy and Mowbray Rd – is currently used as a key tunnelling point to cart soil from construction works on the new Sydney Metro line between Chatswood and the Sydney CBD.

The state government has confirmed it is in the early planning process of turning the 14,600sq m tunnelling site into a new school once construction on the new rail line is completed in 2024.

Tender documents reveal the new school is proposed to have a capacity of up to 1000 students.

A photo of the current Metro site.

Property NSW has also revealed part of the site could be allocated for new housing in what is understood to offset the state government costs associated with previously acquiring the site for the Sydney Metro construction works.

Willoughby state MP Tim James said the early planning process was investigating how to maximise the use of the site for a school including the provision of outdoor play facilities for students.

The site has been used to support construction works on the Sydney Metro line.

“There are a lot of things to look at and work through including how much public space would be able to be provided for students,” he said.

“The site was acquired by the state government for the purposes of it being a Metro site and as part of the future planning for the site they’ve got to get back some of the costs (associated with acquisition) hence the prospect of it being a mixed use site.

“It could mean part of the site is earmarked for residential use (but) my overarching priority is to ensure the best outcomes for a school. In an ideal world the whole site would be allocated for a school.”

The proposal comes after parents at nearby schools including Chatswood Primary and High school have spoken out over the current enrolment demands in the area.

A new school could alleviate pressure on surrounding schools including Chatswood Primary School (pictured).

A Department of Education spokesman said the proposed “new primary school would cater for future population growth in the area”.

“Further updates regarding the potential new primary school including a time frame for construction and delivery, use of the site, will be released as the project progresses,” he said in a statement.

The proposed new school at the Metro site would be an additional school in the area – on top of the previously approved redevelopment of the Chatswood High School and Primary School campuses.

The Metro site was a former electricity depot before it was acquired by the NSW Government for the Sydney Metro project.

The state government has budgeted $3.69 million towards early works on the school in the current financial year.