Port Melbourne Primary parents up in arms over new Fishermans Bend primary school
The state government is under fire for building a new school less than 1km away from Port Melbourne Primary, with parents labelling it “a wasted investment”.
Education
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Port Melbourne Primary School’s council president has slammed the state government for building a new school less than 1km away, worried it will steal the school’s students.
In an outraged letter to school parents, council president Gareth Lewis has called the planned Fisherman’s Bend Primary School a “wasted investment” and urged them to contact Labor MP Nina Taylor and Education Minister Ben Carroll to express their concerns.
The new school, due to open in 2026, will be located on Williamstown Rd in Port Melbourne – just 650m away from Port Melbourne Primary on Graham St.
Mr Lewis said the decision to open the new school will contribute to a loss in enrolments at Port Melbourne Primary, drain money and impact students’ safety due to a lack of road crossings.
“The decision was made with little transparency or consultation, leaving PMPS and our community uninformed about the location and potential impacts on our enrolments until now,” Mr Lewis told parents.
“Despite our efforts to obtain information from the state government, we have not been provided with important details about, and data to support, the new school’s zoning and its effect on PMPS remain unclear, hindering our ability to plan for the future.”
Despite past overcrowding at Port Melbourne Primary, there are now 729 students at the school, with pressure reduced due to the opening of two new schools in South Melbourne.
One parent told the Herald Sun he feared “enrolments drop and we may have services stripped from us”.
The parent said he and others were worried about the impact of new zoning, which may force those at Port Melbourne Primary to go to the new school.
“It may be easier for them to get to our school but they may be forced to cross Williamstown Rd to get to the other school,” he said.
“We are concerned that we will go from one really good school to two mediocre schools.”
The new Fishermans Bend Primary School will offer up to 650 places from prep to grade six, according to the Victorian School Building Authority.
It will include a two-storey and three-storey “learning neighbourhood” with the latter having a rooftop terrace, a community hub with a gym, music room and rooftop court, a grassed playing field, a playground and a kindergarten which will open in 2027.
In the 2023-34 state budget, the school received a share of $573m in funding.
A Department of Education spokesman said “Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name) will open in the Wirraway precinct for the start of the 2026 school year.
“The opening of a new school in Fishermans Bend in 2026 will help the growing local population get a great education close to home.”
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