Construction is under way on a multimillion- dollar expansion of Tarneit’s Good News Lutheran College that will double the size of the campus.
The college, on Tarneit Road, plans to include new buildings to accommodate a student body more than twice the size of that currently enrolled and specialist buildings and classrooms.
Space has also been earmarked for early childhood facilities, but a decision has yet to be made on their feasibility.
Most of the expansion will be on adjoining land recently rezoned from farming zone 1 to general residential.
The college is waiting on final approval from Wyndham council before starting work on the land.
Meanwhile, a full-sized sports oval and five-room science building are under construction on existing college land.
The expansion is expected to take up to 15 years to complete.
The college has expanded rapidly since opening in 1997 as a primary school with only 24 students.
This year, Good News Lutheran College – which has introduced a senior school
in recent years – has 677 students on its
books and will next year welcome its first year 12s.
Principal Simon Hughes said that once the expansion was complete, the college would have capacity for 1500 students.
Mr Hughes would not disclose the cost of the expansion but conceded the bill would run into the millions.
He said the expansion signalled exciting times ahead.
“The purchase of the land basically doubles the size of the college,” he said.
“I took this job knowing that the job was expanding the school. The reason that was an exciting prospect for me was because the previous two schools I’ve worked at have done the same thing – I’ve been part of schools growing in new communities, and I really enjoy what that brings and what that offers.”
