“If we don’t start planning for a new school now, we’re not going to have one for four or five years when a new one’s needed …”
RESIDENTS and developers in Point Cook hope that two schools slated for construction will meet the needs of young families moving in.
The Catholic Education Office says plans are well under way for a primary school in Saltwater Coast, to be built by 2014.
And estate developer FKP says the education department has preliminary plans for a P-9 state school within five years.
But Point Cook residents and the Wyndham Council are baffled why the department hasn’t determined the need for new senior schools running beyond year 9.
In March, Planning Minister Matthew Guy told the Weekly no new senior schools were planned for the suburb as the demographic of young families in the area did not yet demand it.
There are only two schools in Point Cook offering years 10-12 education – Emmanuel College’s Notre Dame campus and Point Cook Senior College.
Loren Bartley, whose children attend Point Cook P-9, said the school was operating well above capacity, using “more portable classrooms than permanent classrooms”.
She said failing to plan for another senior school was short-sighted.
“If we don’t start planning for a new school now, we’re not going to have one for four or five years when a new one’s needed; the land needs to be set aside now,” Ms Bartley said.
“It will be interesting when it comes to finding high school places for all of those kids.”
Former Richmond resident Paul Lewis, who moved in March to a new Saltwater Coast house with his wife and eight-month-old son, said it was comforting to know two new schools were planned.
“We’re still a little way off schooling, but it’s something you have to think about,” he said.
“Wyndham is the fastest-growing area in Australia, and you can’t expect people to move to these places without public and private schools available.”
Saltwater Coast developer FKP’s general manager Evian Delfabbro said it was hoped new schools would add to the area’s attraction for young families.
“The lack of high schools is a concern, but it’s not necessarily a real problem at this stage.
“By far the largest number of residents moving in are couples and young families with children aged under five.
“Schools will grow as the children grow”.
About 59 babies are born in Wyndham each week.
Mayor Kim McAliney said “education doesn’t stop at year 10” and the government needed to provide enough primary and secondary schools.
Department of Education spokesman Stuart Teather said the area’s existing senior secondary school, Point Cook Secondary, had capacity to cater for continued growth.
