Wyndham needs two new schools by 2016 and significant upgrades to three other schools to meet demand, a council report has revealed.
The report is being used to urge the Education Department to ensure the municipality receives funding for school projects in this year’s state budget.
In the report, advocacy director Bill Forrest said rapid population growth meant Wyndham would have a big problem with school capacity next year.
“In 2010-2011, Wyndham was the fastest growing municipality in Australia with a growth rate of 7.8 per cent. This is significant as, although the growth rate has since eased a little, children born in that year will be starting school in 2015.
“With many schools already at capacity, this creates an immediate problem for school capacity.”
Mr Forrest found there was an urgent need for a new primary school at Tarneit West and a prep-year 9 school at Sanctuary Lakes.
He also recommended the government provide funding to build the next stage of Werribee Primary School, The Grange College and Werribee Secondary College.
As reported by the Weekly, the Committee for Wyndham has mounted a campaign to secure $7 million in May’s budget for the third stage of Werribee Secondary College’s rebuild and to replace “dangerous” buildings.
The Grange College is also campaigning for funding to address its maintenance problems.
School council president Noel Moodie said no significant infrastructure had been added to the Hoppers Crossing senior campus since it was built 20 years ago. He said the school was suffering from water damage, drainage and roofing problems and burst irrigation pipes.
Four wings of the secondary school have been without heating for 12 months. The primary school campus was built to accommodate 300 pupils but 800 are
now enrolled.
Werribee Primary is also approaching its cap of 525 pupils and is seeking funding for stage four of its development.
An Education Department spokesman said the schools would be considered for funding in the budget but would not say if the department viewed the projects as necessary.
