New school in Toowoomba growth area of Westbrook to be announced by State Government
A NEW public school could be announced for a growing part of Toowoomba within days, with documents revealing the State Government wants one established in the area by 2025.
Education
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In a move that has been heralded by residents as badly-needed, it is understood Westbrook will get a new primary school to meet growing demands for education services in the western corridor.
Currently, Bunkers Hill, Wyreema and Harristown State Schools are all at or above 75 per cent capacity.
It comes after it was revealed the Department of Education wrote to a developer in April, seeking available land for a new school within five years.
“The Department of Education is presently seeking budget funding for the acquisition of land for a primary school site in the Westbrook region for possible opening in 2025,” the letter said.
“(The department) is interested to determine … whether there are any sites that may be suitable for a future primary school.
“Land for new primary schools under current planning standards is seven hectares for a primary school for up to 1,100 students.”
Education Minister Grace Grace said the State Government was committed to supporting public schools in Toowoomba.
“Since 2015 we have invested more than $233 million in school infrastructure which has supported nearly 700 local jobs,” she said.
“We have also invested $7 million to expand the rapidly growing Wyreema SS, which was closed by Campbell Newman and the LNP but saved by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“Decisions about any new school are based on population projections, as well as capacity within the existing school network.”
It comes after Toowoomba Regional Council officers seriously questioned the need for a new school in its response to the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office’s proposal for a new K-12 school at Westbrook.
The council’s strategic planning department has also stated that it wasn’t anticipating major growth in Westbrook for another 15 years.
Westbrook Focus Group president Jamie Cooper said the area desperately needed a new school, but was concerned about the council putting roadblocks in the path.
“We’ve got a school that wants to be built here, but the council is asking for more information, in order to get that built,” he said.
Group treasurer Caryn Powell, a former teacher, said surrounding schools where already nearing capacity.
“They’ve taken up the last lot of land there to develop it, where do they go from there?” she said.
“It’s not going to happen tomorrow, but they need forward planning.”
TRC planning and development chair Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan, who is running for the ALP in Toowoomba North at the upcoming election, said the council was not opposed to development in Westbrook.
“We are in preparation for our new planning scheme, so that’s going to include assessing where the growth corridors are,” she said.
“The idea of not caring about Westbrook is not true.
“I think the general community would like to know that growth is based around science rather than the opinions of developers.”