Westmead: Plans for second public school at Bridge and Darcy roads

A desperately needed primary school is on the cards for a booming western Sydney suburb but its congested location has ignited controversy. Find out where it’s planned.

The State Government is considering demolishing the nurses’ accommodation at Westmead and building a primary school for about 1000 students on the site to meet the demand for soaring pupil numbers, but objectors say the facility would throw traffic into more disarray.

The site at the corner of Bridge and Darcy roads is opposite Westmead public and private hospitals and is next to three Catholic schools — Parramatta Marist and Catherine McAuley high schools and Mother Teresa Primary School — which are earmarked for redevelopment.

The proposed $120 million Westmead Catholic Community Education Campus project, which would see student figures explode from 2700 to 6000, and a church for 400 worshippers, has already come under fire over fears of excessive traffic and congestion blocking drivers reaching the hospital.

Former Parramatta Lord Mayor Steven Issa has slammed plans to build another school in that area.

“Whether it be Catholic or public, we can’t keep throwing things at Westmead and expect it to cope,’’ he said.

“The road network is currently struggling and the more we throw at it the more it will continue to struggle.

The nurses’ accommodation at the corner of Bridge and Darcy roads at Westmead.

“Whilst the more schools the better — and congratulations to the government on the infrastructure — the road network is at capacity.’’

Mr Issa, who has two children attending Mother Teresa Primary, has acknowledged the need for another school but said building one on Bridge Rd was the “wrong response” from the government, saying it often took 30 minutes to travel 2km to reach Bridge Rd.

“Imagine there was an ambulance to try and get through that mess,’’ he said.

However, Parramatta state Liberal MP Geoff Lee said the densely populated community left the government with few building sites.

“There’s certainly very limited sites in Parramatta or within Westmead,’’ he said.

“No matter where you put it, there will be traffic.

“It’s actually the difficulty in finding it — we’ve got the money — it’s nailing down the site. There will always be traffic, at the end of the day we’re putting in the best of public transport.’’

Westmead Public School has long been overcrowded. Picture: Monique Harmer

The light rail begins operating from Hawkesbury Rd, Westmead, from next year, while a Metro station will be built alongside the existing rail line.

Mr Lee said high school students at Westmead could use the transport while kiss and ride zones would be implemented for primary students.

There are no funds allocated under the state budget for the school despite it being pledged in 2018 but Mr Lee confirmed it was on the cards.

The school would alleviate pressure off Westmead Public, which is the state’s largest government primary school with more than 1600 students and overflowing with more than 20 demountables.

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Originally published as Westmead: Plans for second public school at Bridge and Darcy roads