Decision details

Moved by Councillor Phelps, seconded by Councillor Miller -

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          the forecasted increase in urban density around Alexandria Park School due to development of: Green Square; Elizabeth Street, Redfern; South Eveleigh; and the Waterloo Estate;

(ii)         the redevelopment of Alexandria Park Community School will accommodate students from Kindergarten to Year 12. The redevelopment will ensure the school can cater for increasing future student enrolments;

(iii)        the project replaces existing classrooms and provides:

(a)        new permanent learning spaces;

(b)        special education learning spaces;

(c)         special program rooms (high school) for subjects including visual and performing arts, science and metal and woodwork; and

(d)        new facilities including an administration area, hall, library, gymnasium, multiple sports courts, and play spaces;

(iv)       construction of the new school is underway and is being staged so that students can continue to attend classes, with a forecasted completion date of 2022;

(v)         in the NSW Department of Education - School Infrastructure, Alexandria Park Community School November 2019 Project Update, the school and local community were informed that the project will now be delivered in two stages. Stage 1 is the expansion to accommodate 1,000 primary students and 850 secondary students, and Stage 2 will create space for an additional 400 secondary students;

(vi)       the update states that students will remain in the facilities delivered in Stage 1 during the future construction of Stage 2, with Stage 1 works including the infrastructure which will allow the fourth level to be delivered in the future with minimal operational impact to the school. They have advised that Stage 2 will be delivered once the demographic trends show that the increased student capacity is needed;

(vii)      the Alexandria Park Community School catchment community believes this additional disruption of student life is unnecessary, and with the high rates of development in the area, linear projection trends will not match the realistic population growth resulting in reactionary delivery, as opposed to building for growth; and

(viii)     the school already accommodates more students than is reported by the NSW Department of Education, which states 455 secondary students - as of November 2019, with the Alexandria Park Community School P&C advising the number is actually around 480;

(B)        the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Premier, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP, the NSW Minister for Education, the Hon. Sarah Mitchell MP, and the NSW Minister for Planning, the Hon. Rob Stokes MP, requesting a meeting with the Alexandria Residents Action Group (ARAG), and the Alexandria Park Community School P&C to discuss this decision; and

(C)       the Chief Executive Officer be requested to provide ARAG and the Alexandria Park Community School P&C with confirmed or revised demographic projections for the Alexandria Park Community School catchment area, based on the cumulative effect of both expected local development and other major projects, in time for the 11 December 2019 ARAG meeting.

___________________________________________________________________

Note – the above motion was not carried. The resolution below was carried –

(A)        Council note:

(i)          the forecasted increase in urban density around Alexandria Park School due to development of: Green Square; Elizabeth Street, Redfern; South Eveleigh; and the Waterloo Estate;

(ii)         the City of Sydney has been calling for more school places in the inner city for many years;

(iii)        in 2017 the City of Sydney and the Department of Education agreed to work together to deliver a new primary school for 600 children in Green Square by 2022;

(iv)       the redevelopment of Alexandria Park Community School will accommodate students from Kindergarten to Year 12. The redevelopment will ensure the school can cater for increasing future student enrolments;

(v)         the project replaces existing classrooms and provides:

(a)        new permanent learning spaces;

(a)        special education learning spaces;

(b)        special program rooms (high school) for subjects including visual and performing arts, science and metal and woodwork; and

(c)         new facilities including an administration area, hall, library, gymnasium, multiple sports courts, and play spaces;

(vi)       construction of the new school is underway and is being staged so that students can continue to attend classes, with a forecasted completion date of 2022;

(vii)      in the NSW Department of Education - School Infrastructure, Alexandria Park Community School November 2019 Project Update, the school and local community were informed that the project will now be delivered in two stages. Stage 1 is the expansion to accommodate 1,000 primary students and 850 secondary students, and Stage 2 will create space for an additional 400 secondary students;

(viii)     the update states that students will remain in the facilities delivered in Stage 1 during the future construction of Stage 2, with Stage 1 works including the infrastructure which will allow the fourth level to be delivered in the future with minimal operational impact to the school. They have advised that Stage 2 will be delivered once the demographic trends show that the increased student capacity is needed;

(ix)       the Alexandria Park Community School catchment community believes this additional disruption of student life is unnecessary, and with the high rates of development in the area, linear projection trends will not match the realistic population growth resulting in reactionary delivery, as opposed to building for growth;

(x)         the school already accommodates more students than is reported by the NSW Department of Education, which states 455 secondary students - as of November 2019, with the Alexandria Park Community School P&C advising the number is actually around 480; and

(xi)       the Lord Mayor has written to the NSW Minister for Education requesting she meet with the Alexandria Residents Action Group (ARAG) and the Alexandria Park Community School P & C to discuss the decision; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to provide ARAG and the Alexandria Park Community School P&C with confirmed or revised demographic projections for the Alexandria Park Community School catchment area, based on the cumulative effect of both expected local development and other major projects, in time for the 11 December 2019 ARAG meeting.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

S129263