An elected Minns Labor Government will build a new public high school for the growing communities of Gledswood Hills and Gregory Hills.
The high school would be built within the first term of a Minns Labor Government, with a local site procured to provide the best possible access for local families.
Labor will also do a full audit of enrolment growth in South West Sydney to fix the Perrottet Government’s broken schools planning, which has left growing communities without adequate schools.
Gregory Hills is now home to more than 9,000 residents, with a further 6,000 residents in Gledswood Hills. Yet, the NSW Liberal Government has refused to build a high school for four years straight.
Worse still, the NSW Government failed to procure land that the government’s own Education Department recommended purchasing in 2019 for a future high school in Gledswood Hills.
This is despite the Education Department warning of the “need for a new secondary school based on forecast enrolments.”
As a result of government inaction, hundreds of parents in Gregory Hills and Gledswood Hills were forced to start a community campaign in 2020 to get local public schools built.
For more than two years parents have petitioned the NSW Government, raised their voices in the media and advocated countless times to their current Liberal MP, but still the Perrottet Government has failed to build a high school.
This year’s NSW budget showed school building facing huge delays, with the Perrottet Government under-delivering on 113 school infrastructure projects – spending $1.26 billion less than was promised in the 2021-22 budget.
Eight out of 10 of the biggest enrolment surges occurred in Western Sydney schools.
Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader, said:
“Growing communities need schools, and in South West Sydney the NSW Liberal Government has failed to deliver enough schools to meet the rapid population growth.
“Families in Gregory Hills and Gledswood Hills have been forced to campaign for years to get schools built in their community – they’ve been ignored by the current NSW Government for too long.
I aim to fix this government’s poor planning and build the local public high school this community urgently needs.”
Prue Car, NSW Shadow Minister for Education, said:
“This community had to fight tooth and nail to finally get the delayed Gregory Hills Public School started, whilst the playground at neighbouring Gledswood Hills Public School filled with demountables.
“Now, the Perrottet Liberal Government refuses to even secure a site for a high school, despite their own Education Department admitting the high school is needed.
“Families have seen more and more housing lots approved, all the while their pleas for a local high school have been ignored by the NSW Government.”
Sally Quinnell, NSW Labor Candidate for Camden, said:
“Parents have been crying out for years to get a local public high school for this community and I’m very pleased to be able to announce this high school commitment today.
“As a teacher and parent myself, I understand the frustration this community has experienced under the current NSW Liberal Government as they’ve had to fight for local schools.
“I want to be a strong voice for my community, which for too long has been lacking a strong advocate who can get results.”