Decision Maker: Council
Decision status: Recommendations Determined
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
Report author: Erin Cashman
Publication date: 18/11/2019
Date of decision: 18/11/2019
Decided at meeting: 18/11/2019 - Council
Accompanying Documents: