Catholic school to open in 2019 on Gold Coast
A LARGE Catholic school is set to open its doors in one of the fastest growing areas on the Gold Coast next year catering for up to 1800 students.
Gold Coast
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A CATHOLIC school being built in the northern corridor of the Gold Coast is set to be a major boon for the area.
St Joseph’s College Coomera will be a combined primary and secondary school accommodating up to 1800 students, the largest of its kind in the region.
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The Gold Coast’s northern corridor is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, with the population across the northern suburbs jumping by almost 15,000 to 75,882 since 2013, putting pressure on the region’s existing schools and creating demand for more facilities.
Work on St Joseph’s College Coomera has already begun, including general learning areas, administration buildings, extra-curricular areas, sports fields, a library and a tuckshop.
Two hectares of the 11ha site are being left as natural bushland for students to learn about and explore.
The principal, Paul Begg, said the school would open on January 30 next year with about 220 students.
Mr Begg said $18 million had been invested by Brisbane Catholic Education just for stage one after realising the demand and the potential for a new school in the area.
“It was first envisaged 10 or 11 years ago and 1800 students is the projected enrolment across six years,’’ he said.
Mr Begg said the school was already taking in large numbers of enrolments despite having only opened applications at the start of this week.
The school is expected to open for pupils from Prep to Year 3 next year, with the possibility of a Year 4 class being added if there is demand. There will also be a number of Year 7 classes, with the potential to open a much needed Year 11 class two years earlier in 2021.
“I do understand the demand,” Mr Begg said.
“It’s very much dependent on whether we can deliver the facilities. We want to deliver the best possible education (for our students).”
Mr Begg said it had been projected that there would be demand for an extra 6000 students in the area across the next 15 years.
In the past five years, the population in Coomera has jumped from just under 11,000 people to nearly 14,000, according to the 2016 Census. The northern Gold Coast has about 75,882 people, up nearly 15,000 from 61,929 in 2013.
Local MP Michael Crandon said other schools in the area had built extra facilities to keep up with “burgeoning” numbers.
Since 2013, more than 5000 students had swelled the tanks in the area’s schools, with 15,363 students counted as of early February this year.
“We are the fastest growing region and have 10 new schools in 10 years since 2009,” Mr Crandon said.
“Twenty-eight per cent of our population is under 15 years of age. We’re just hanging on. With this school coming in 2019 it will relieve some of the pressure.”
Mr Crandon said the Catholic school would add to the diversity of the region, with a relatively even mix of private and state schools.
“It will be great. It’s another option for parents,” he said.
Community relations manager Stephen Ruck of King’s Christian College, which opened a northern campus in the neighbouring suburb of Pimpama three years ago, agreed and said a new school in the area was welcomed.
“We opened in 2015 and our experience has been that demand has been greater that what we had forecast,” he said.
“When we were planning for the school 10 years ago, we had part of the growth in mind after getting information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the State Government (and) council ... but the actual population growth has been much greater.
“We’ve put on extra classes (and) we’ve had to build more buildings.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said earlier this year the Government would build 10 new state schools in Queensland, including one secondary school in the Coomera area.
A special school was also being planned for the northern Gold Coast.
Picnic Creek State School opened its doors to more than 180 students at Coomera this year.
SCHOOLS IN COOMERA ELECTORATE
Private P-12 Schools
Coomera Anglican College- 1416 students
Assisi Catholic College- 1400 students
Livingstone Christian College- 1065 students
Rivermount College- 916 students
Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School- 589 students
State Secondary School
Pimpama State Secondary College- 1600 students
Ormeau Woods State High School- 1280 students
Private Middle School
Toogoolawa School- 90 students
Private Primary Schools
Kings Christian College- 400 students
Mother Teresa Catholic School- 238 students
State Primary Schools
Coomera Rivers Primary School- 1316 students
Norfolk Village State Primary School- 1074 students
Ormeau State Primary School- 906 students
Coomera Springs Primary School- 880 students
Pimpama State Primary College- 816 students
Pimpama State Primary School- 724 students
Cedar Creek Primary School- 229 students
Picnic Creek State Primary School- 204 students
Woongoolba State Primary School- 202 students
QUICK STATS ON NORTHERN SUBURBS
(Statistics from the 2016 National Census)
COOMERA
● Children under 14 years of age make up nearly 30 per cent of the area’s population (28.9 per cent).
● 13,305 population.
● The average age is 28.
● Nearly half of the population over 15 is married (46.1 per cent), while 40.9 per cent have never been married.
● Nearly 40 per cent of the population is attending school, with 33.9 per cent in primary, 19.9 per cent in secondary and 16.4 per cent in tertiary studies.
●Nearly 19 per cent of the population described themselves as Catholic (18.8 per cent), just under the state average of 21.7 per cent.
● Nearly 60 per cent of the population aged over 15 works full-time (59.7%), with an additional 28 per cent working part-time. Eight per cent are unemployed.
● The top four responses for occupation were: trade persons (15.8 per cent), professionals (15.3 per cent), administrative workers (13.5 per cent) and managers (13.2 per cent).
● The median weekly wage is $746, compared to Queensland’s $660.
● Just over half of families in the area comprised parents with children (52.3 per cent).
● About 61 per cent of the population rent (61.2%).
PIMPAMA
● Children under 14 years of age make up nearly 30 per cent of the area’s population (29.3 per cent).
● 9396 population.
● The average age is 27.
● Just over 40 per cent of the population over 15 is married (40.6 per cent). Nearly half have never been married (46.3 per cent).
● Thirty-five per cent of the population is attending school, with 30.4 per cent in primary, 16.1 per cent in secondary and 15.8 per cent in a trade or tertiary studies.
● Nearly 17 per cent of the population described themselves as Catholic (16.5 per cent), under the state average of 21.7 per cent.
● Nearly 60 per cent of the population aged over 15 works full-time (59.6%), with an additional 27 per cent working part-time. Just under 9 per cent are unemployed (8.4 per cent).
● The top four responses for occupation were: trade persons (17.6 per cent), administrative workers (13.3 per cent), professionals (13.1 per cent) and community service workers (12.2 per cent)
● The median weekly wage is $750, compared to Queensland’s $660.
● Just under half of families in the area comprise parents with children (47.1 per cent).
● Nearly 70 per cent of the population rent (69.3%), double that of the Queensland average (34.2).
ORMEAU
● Children under 14 years of age make up nearly 30 per cent of the area’s population (27.6 per cent).
● 14,460 population.
● The average age is higher than surrounding suburbs at 32.
● Just over 50 per cent of the population over 15 is married (52.8 per cent). Just over one-third have never been married (33.6 per cent).
● Just over 30 per cent of the population is attending school, with 36.5 per cent in primary, 24.4 per cent in secondary and 12.9 per cent in a trade or tertiary studies.
● Nearly 20 per cent of the population described themselves as Catholic (19.1 per cent), close to the state average of 21.7 per cent.
● More than 60 per cent of the population aged over 15 works full-time (60.2%), with an additional 28.5 per cent working part-time. Just under 7 per cent are unemployed (6.4 per cent).
● The top four responses for occupation were: trade persons (17.5 per cent), administrative workers (16.1 per cent), professionals (14.8 per cent), and managers (11.3 per cent).
● The median weekly wage is $751, compared to Queensland’s $660.
● Just over half of families in the area comprise parents with children (54.9 per cent).
● Less than 35 per cent of the population rent (34.1).
UPPER COOMERA
● Children under 14 years of age make up nearly 30 per cent of the area’s population (27.8 per cent).
● 25,276 population.
● The average age is slightly higher than surrounding suburbs at 30.
● Just under 50 per cent of the population over 15 is married (48.2 per cent). Nearly 40 per cent have never been married (37.4 per cent).
● Just over 30 per cent of the population is attending school, with 36.3 per cent in primary, 23.2 per cent in secondary and 14.9 per cent in a trade or tertiary studies.
● Nearly 20 per cent of the population described themselves as Catholic (18.9 per cent), close to the state average of 21.7 per cent.
● Just under 60 per cent of the population aged over 15 works full-time (59.1%), with an additional 28.8 per cent working part-time. More than 7 per cent are unemployed (7.4 per cent).
● The top four responses for occupation were: trade persons (16.3 per cent), professionals (14.1 per cent), administrative workers (13.7 per cent), and community workers (13.7 per cent).
● The median weekly wage is $726, compared to Queensland’s $660.
● Just over half of families in the area comprised parents with children (54.9 per cent).
● More than 40 per cent of the population rent (44.1).
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