Check out school developments — some not adhering to height and setback codes — planned near you

Scores of private schools have been granted ministerial approval to construct large new centres, demolish buildings and take over nearby houses.

Toorak College’s planned development is just one of many fast-tracked projects.

A new $59m five-storey building at Caulfield Grammar is among hundreds of private school developments fast-tracked by the state government in recent years.

State law was changed in 2018 to ensure independent school expansion plans aren’t held up by councils or residents at VCAT.

Since then hundreds of private schools have been granted ministerial approval to construct large new centres, demolish existing buildings and take over use of nearby houses for educational purposes.

In 2022 alone, more than 30 schools such as Firbank Grammar, Wesley College, Scotch College, Toorak College, Bacchus Marsh Grammar, Strathcona Girls’ Grammar, Mentone Grammar and King David School have had planning applications rubber stamped by the state government.

An artist’s impression of the proposed new building at Caulfield Grammar.

Three such developments alone cost more than $100m.

The Herald Sun can reveal for the first time the full list of recently approved planning permits, some of which have been opposed by councils or resubmitted with amendments after rejection.

One of the cover letters even urges a council not to advertise the application.

The applications include reductions in onsite parking, knocking down trees and new access points impacting on nearby streets.

Many do not adhere to height and setback requirements which apply to other developments in their suburbs.

Dozens more applications are pending approval, including changes to Geelong College, Marcellin College, Our Lady of Sion, Brighton Grammar, Yarra Valley Grammar, Camberwell Grammar, Xavier College and Geelong Grammar.

In March, Caulfield Grammar was granted a permit to construct a $59m five-storey building “for staff and students to play, learn and reflect,” the application states.

The giant construction in St Kilda East will front Merriwoola St, which the school will apply to the council to close off. The application notes that “education facilities are different to dwellings in their use and purpose and can have a different built form, including height, mass, and scale”.

Strathcona Girls Grammar School is one of several schools that have had planning applications rubber-stamped by the state government. Picture: Mark Stewart

Wesley College’s plan involves a $28m redevelopment of its campus on St Kilda Rd. This involves part demolition of an existing building – known as G block — and construction of a futuristic new four-storey cantilevered building for teaching and learning.

Wesley College said the planning process for major development works at the St Kilda Road Campus has been paused indefinitely. In the meantime, the rolling schedule of refurbishments works will continue on campus as planned.

Another major construction is Mentone Grammar’s 17m high $30m school building, car park and playing fields at their Warrigal Rd campus. Toorak College has also been given the green light to build a $14 million community and arts precinct building in Mount Eliza.

Caulfield Grammar, Wesley College and Mentone Grammar were invited to comment.

Many such schools have waged wars over their development plans with local residents for years, and are strategically acquiring properties to expand into neighbouring streets.

Wesley College’s existing St Kilda Rd Melbourne campus. Picture: Mark Stewart

One resident in talks with Caulfield Grammar over its plans to further expand its Malvern campus said “ministerial powers of intervention override all of our concerns with subsequent detrimental impacts on residential amenity and neighbourhood character”.

“The ministerial powers provide a massive power imbalance between residents and these wealthy private schools and ignores the social licence that allows them to operate in residential areas,” he said.

Colleen Berriman, a Glen Iris resident who has opposed developments at Korowa Anglican Girls’ School, said the developments “affect the sense of belonging to an area because they allow overdevelopment by schools”.

“They have ruined beautiful grounds and now people feel very disconnected to these places,” she said.

When the law was changed in 2018 then Planning Minister Richard Wynne said the move was designed to “reduce red tape and make it quicker and easier to deliver the significant upgrades our non-government schools need”.

A government spokesman said the planning provisions were updated to manage growing demand for school infrastructure.

“Interim planning provisions were introduced in 2019 to streamline planning applications for low-fee paying non-government schools funded under the Victorian government non-government schools capital fund,” he said.

“The new planning process will boost the capacity of the education sector to effectively manage current and forecast demand for school infrastructure in the state.”

The projects follow the development of a non-government schools planning unit within the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning, which manages applications from non-government schools.