Williams Landing residents have started an online petition calling on the state government to build primary and secondary schools in their suburb.
The change.org petition, launched last week, is aimed at getting the government to build a prep-to-year 12 campus at Williams Landing and dedicated primary and secondary campuses.
The petition had 341 signatures by the time Star Weekly went to print.
A co-initiator of the petition, Aaron An, said residents were also keen for Wyndham council to lobby the state government on their behalf.
“Many families like us are forced to move out [of Williams Landing] because of the lack of schools and options in this fast-growing suburb,” he said.
“All relevant bodies and politicians have known about this issue for at least two years now.”
Fellow petitioner Kaivalya Jani said he was keen for a primary school to be built in the area in the next three years so that his daughter would be able to attend a school in the suburb in which she lives.
Currently, Mr Jani’s daughter is zoned to attend a primary school in Laverton.
Last year, about 240 primary school pupils and 130 secondary students from Williams Landing were enrolled at government schools in the area.
Most of the primary school pupils living in Williams Landing are enrolled at Truganina South Primary School, while secondary students are spread across Hoppers Crossing Secondary College, Laverton P-12 College, Point Cook Senior Secondary College, Suzanne Cory High School and Werribee Secondary College.
A spokesman for Education Minister James Merlino said the state government had invested “an unprecedented” $101 million in Wyndham schools in the past two budgets.
“This investment will mean land can be bought for the proposed Truganina East P-9, while stage two of the Truganina P-9 school upgrade can start, with both schools servicing the nearby Williams Landing community,” the spokesman said.
“The Education Department annually reviews the need for new schools … and works with state and local planning authorities to identify and plan future school sites.”
