Students and staff at Liverpool West Public School will be welcomed back to their classrooms on Monday, 11 March 2024 with full clearance received from the independent hygienist today.
This follows extensive work undertaken over the past few weeks to remove contaminated mulch at the school and fully remediate the site.
All areas of concern based on the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) investigation have been remediated with all mulch now removed.
The main classrooms and teaching areas of the school will return to usual operations now that the independent hygienist has provided a clearance certificate.
Reinstatement of landscaping materials will continue in the coming weeks and will not impact school operations.
Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car said:
“We are pleased to be able to confirm a return to face-to-face learning at Liverpool West Public School from Monday.
“We cannot thank the incredible school staff and teams across the department enough. They have worked around the clock to get us to this point, where we can safely return our students and teachers to their classrooms.
“We would also like to thank all students at both Liverpool West and Gulygangarri, their families and carers, for their support and understanding.
“Safety has always been our top priority. The decision to temporarily close the school site was not taken lightly, and we appreciate the community’s patience while we managed the situation as safely and as quickly as possible.”
Member for Liverpool Charishma Kaliyanda said:
“We are privileged in Sydney’s south-west to have a strong public education community, and we’re so grateful to Gulyangarri Public School for their warm hospitality in giving students from Liverpool West a safe and welcoming place to learn during this time.
“This has been an uncertain time for many in the Liverpool West Public School community, and I am thankful to the Department for responding in a way that puts the health and safety of our kids first, while minimising disruptions to learning.
“Families at Liverpool West Public School have been waiting for their kids to be able to return to campus. I know today’s news will come as a relief to many of them.”