St Peter’s Anglican College: Broulee private school wants to open up for community

A rapidly growing south coast private school is transforming into a ‘hub for the community’, proposing multiple facilities which will be for student and community use.

St Peter's Anglican College is opening its gates to the community, with proposed facilities for public use.

A rapidly growing private school is using its new found size to transform into a “hub for the community”, proposing a number of facilities which will be open for student and public use.

Facilities from a large scale gymnasium to a recording studio are proposed to be open for public use after school hours at St Peter’s Anglican College in Broulee, which has grown by more than 500 students in five years.

St Peter’s principal, Darren McPartland said the rapidly growing size was why he submitted the $23m development application (DA) to the Eurobodalla Council.

“When you have a house with three kids, you would have three rooms, but then you have a house with seven kids, you would have seven rooms,” he said.

“You need to grow with the cohort.”

The growth also presented Mr McPartland the opportunity to open the school grounds to the community.

“I have kids and I love seeing them outside on weekends doing things,” he said.

St Peter's Anglican College Principal, Darren McPartland. Picture: Tom McGann.

“So, being in a community like this, I think it’s so important to have spots where kids, parents, adults, whoever, can come and throw the basketball around, run around and know that it’s not just exclusive to the students.”

Mr McPartland said the school of 850 students had already begun making changes to open up to the community.

“The basketball court we have at the moment used to have a big chain lock on it, so I said get rid of it,” he said.

“So, people can come now on weekends and use it, people can come and use the ovals, why should we keep it to ourselves?”

The $23m DA now sits with the NSW Planning Panel for consideration due to its cost – however, if approved, the school will see a three court gymnasium built featuring a basketball court, netball court and badminton area.

An artist's impression of the proposed gymnasium.

Development application designs for the proposed gymnasium.

“We’re also looking at putting in new carparks and a safer bus bay,” Mr McPartland said.

Along with a gymnasium for students and the public to use, Mr McPartland said part of the DA included an expansion to the performing arts centre, adding a recording studio.

“We have so many talented people in the school and the broader community, so we really want to have this studio open for public use too,” he said.

“There is really nothing like this in the area for people to use, so I think it will be so important for people who want to get into the music industry to come in and learn how it all works at a young age.”

While he was unsure of how times would be booked to use the recording studio or how it would run, Mr McPartland said he was keen to see the community using it.

The oval where the large scale gymnasium will be built. Picture: Tom McGann.

“People have asked me why I am so keen to open these facilities to the community, they’ve asked me if I’m afraid people will damage it, graffiti it, etc,” he said.

“I don’t think they will. I think if you give the community a hub where they can hang out and have fun, they’ll appreciate that and respect it.”

The DA for St Peters will remain on public exhibition on the Eurobodalla Council website until August 8.