Everyone committed to the future of our city agrees that a local primary school in the area is essential.
The State Government has done the work, through detailed planning and site selection. The designs for the new school are terrific and will be a game changer for residents in East Perth and the CBD.
In fact, it will be the single largest investment by a State Government in a public primary school for local residents – just across the road from the State sponsored WACA redevelopment that will also deliver significant family friendly amenities for East Perth, including a new aquatic facility.
Currently the proposed primary school land at the site can only be used for carpark and cannot be developed as it is constrained by a historic act of parliament. Without lifting this act, the land has limited value.
The State Government has worked to create a win-win for both the city and local residents: a huge investment in a local primary school and unlocking the value of one lot to realise an estimated $27.5 million value for ratepayers.
Unfortunately, the City Council has continuously delayed and frustrated this process taking almost a year to finalise its report despite requests for the information to be provided over six months ago. The City's report is full of concocted arguments that should have been subject to more scrutiny by councillors and that local residents should have had the opportunity to comment on.
To be clear for residents:
- The Development WA Hillside Design Guidelines in no way exclude the land being utilised for a much-needed local public primary school in East Perth.
- The report's assertion that utilising this one City site for a much-needed local public primary school in East Perth will limit the City’s ability to reach its population targets is false.
- There remain a very large number of development and redevelopment opportunities across the City and the single biggest issue for residents and people considering moving into the City is accessing the day-to-day social infrastructure that other local government areas take for granted.
- The idea that the additional development block will be constrained due to being built near a school is false - both Bob Hawke College and Perth Modern will be adjoining large scale residential redevelopments into the future, and it is recognised that this is inevitable in inner city schooling precincts.
- The prioritisation of short term parking revenue that will be offset in the future by a significant increased rate base, over a much-needed local primary school shows that the Council is out of touch with the needs of local residents.
And of course, the City of Perth has previously ceded land to the State Government for public benefit - releasing the land for now Elizabeth Quay under the previous Liberal State Government at no cost after conceding that there was significant public benefit in the development of the area.
Surely there is even more public benefit in a critical piece of social infrastructure – a local primary school for our kids.
