By Alesha Capone
The state government has announced it intends to acquire land in Truganina, which was originally earmarked for a non-government Catholic school, for the construction of a future public school.
Tarneit MP Sarah Connolly said today that the state government is planning to acquire 203 Woods Road, near the corner of Dohertys Road in the Elements estate.
A statement issued by Ms Connolly’s office said that negotiations with the Elements estate developer are underway, along with assessments of the site’s suitability.
Ms Connolly said the state government intends to purchase the Woods Road land to construct part of a two-campus school, under the interim name of Truganina North Secondary School.
The other campus will be located on land in Morris Road.
The state government’s 2021-22 budget included $491.6 million for new school constructions, including the first stage of Truganina North Secondary School.
If the state government is successful in buying the Woods Road land, the two-campus school will be able to cater for 2200 secondary students across its junior and senior campuses.
It is intended that the junior campus would be established on the Elements estate site and the senior campus on the Morris Road site, which alone will provide for 1600 student places.
The two-campus school is due to open its doors in 2024.
“We are committed to ensuring all Victorian students, including those in Truganina and Melbourne’s west, can learn in modern, top-class facilities that are close to home,” Ms Connolly said.
The Woods Road land had previously been earmarked for a future Catholic school, but the Catholic Education Office pulled the pin on these plans after a report confirmed the presence of lead on part of the site.
According to a Wyndham council agenda from last month, although the Elements estate developer has agreed to “decontaminate” the site, the Catholic Education Office avoids purchasing land with history of contamination “even where the land has been rehabilitated to a standard that is considered satisfactory for development”.
