Back to the future - New school plans for Macquarie Park

The NSW Government today announced that it is securing land for a new school site in Macquarie Park.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced an exclusivity agreement to buy back from private hands the old Peter Board High School site that was controversially closed, and subsequently sold, twenty years ago by the then Labor Government.

Ms Berejiklian said it was especially pleasing for her to see that a school will be built on the site where she went to high school.

“Our community was devastated when the Labor government of the time decided to sell off the land where our school had been operating for years,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“I am so pleased to see the land returned to the local community and cannot wait to see it transformed into a new school.”

The exclusivity agreement has been secured with the current owners of the property to enable a new high school to be reinstated on the site once the Department of Planning and Environment’s Macquarie Park master planning process is finalised.

The NSW Government is also exploring opportunities for a primary school within the Macquarie Park precinct to address strong local enrolment growth into the future, with these plans to be resolved following the master planning process.

Minister for Education Rob Stokes said: “As part of the NSW Government’s record $4.2 billion school building program, I’m pleased to announce that planning is now underway to secure this land for future schools.”

Liberal candidate for Bennelong John Alexander said it is great to have this land back in the hands of the community, to be used for the community.

“I have worked hard advocating for more community infrastructure in Bennelong, such as parks, sports centres and schools. This is a great decision by the Berejiklian Government, which will give Bennelong families another great local school,” Mr Alexander said.

Ryde MP and Minister for Finance Victor Dominello said these new schools at Macquarie Park will provide the infrastructure this growing community needs to thrive into the future.

“This is brilliant news for our community,” Mr Dominello said.

“The old Peter Board High School was closed by the Labor government in 1998, and with the Premier being one of its former students, I know she is dedicated to see a school returned on the site to service the local community,” Mr Dominello said.