Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff quizzed on new Hobart inner-city high school

A new inner-city high school for Hobart seems no closer two years after the idea was mooted, with education bureaucrats admitting planning was “really complex”. VOTE IN OUR POLL

HOBART seems no closer to a new inner-city high school two years after the idea was first floated, with education bureaucrats admitting planning for future southern population growth was “really complex”.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff was on Tuesday quizzed on a feasibility study his Government conducted on developing a new inner-city high school to ease pressure on schools reaching capacity, including Taroona High.

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He said the Education Department had forecast demand to 2036 but was yet to settle on how to deal with future growth in the greater Hobart area.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

He said there was “reasonable demographic demand” to support a new CBD high school, but claimed a new campus would not “necessarily” relieve pressure on those struggling with enrolments.

“A new high school may be one of a number of options,” Mr Rockliff said.

Department deputy secretary strategy and performance Jennifer Burgess said there were issues the Education Department was yet to work through, including the impact of the University of Tasmania’s move into Hobart’s CBD.

“It’s a really complex environment for a number of reasons,” Ms Burgess said.

“Parents make a number of choices where to send their young person to high school based on a number of factors.”

Bass Labor MP Michelle O’Byrne suggested the department had wasted its money finding out things it already knew — including that parents selected schools for different reasons.

The government had set aside $300,000 for the school infrastructure planning in 2017 that considered the new CBD high school.

A fiery Mr Rockliff hit back, saying he had inherited an “appalling mess” from the Labor-Green government five years ago.

“Students were in third-world conditions and we’re doing our best to address that,” he said, pointing to school infrastructure upgrades.