Image: The current Ultimo Public School site. Source:Lydia Watson-Moore
BY JORDAN FERMANIS
The long-running campaign to save Ultimo Primary School will be taken to the Legistlative Council with a motion to establish an inquiry with the push headed by Greens MP David Shoebridge.
The announcement of the motion to an Upper House inquiry is the latest in a string of events that have pitted the community and the council against the NSW Government.
Mr Shoebridge told City Hub that the inquiry was long overdue and sought to ensure that an appropriate school facility be built to replace Ultimo Public School.
“We’ve been approached by parents and the school community who are deeply distressed at the prospect of many of their kids spending their entire time in primary school in a ramshackle, demountable facility. There clearly are far superior options,” Mr Shoebridge said.
Mr Shoebridge said he is hopeful that the inquiry can obtain support from the major parties and was hopeful of a positive outcome.
“We’ve managed to bring Labor on board and we are having very fruitful discussions with the cross bench which we are going to progress between now and August when Parliament returns,” Mr Shoebridge said.
After the government broke its promise to construct a school large enough for one thousand students, teachers and residents have been left feeling duped by the education department.
Convenor of Ultimo Pyrmont Education Campaign Committee (UPECC), Mary Mortimer, said she hoped that the upper house inquiry will delay the demolition of Ultimo Primary School.
“We understand it has the support of enough Upper House members, the motion was certainly moved last week.”
“At the moment we are hoping that will stall the proceeds,” Ms Mortimer said.
UPECC has been adamant that the proposed transfer of the school to a site in Wentworth Park will be catastrophic.
“What the department is proposing to do is a wicked waste of public money and will not achieve the result that the community and the area need,” Ms Mortimer said.
UPECC said it is attempting to negotiate a deal with a group of developers that may be able to buy the site with the intent of reselling it to the NSW government.
“A group of developers may buy the site and build the school and sell it to the Department of Education for the same kind of cost,” said Ms Mortimer.
A life member of the Ultimo School P&C, Bill d’Anthes said that the government has been slow to act on considering different options to the proposed demolition and that a brokering a deal with developers might be the only way forward.
“The government is concentrating on other areas, because they don’t seem to be doing anything,” he said.
“They’ve been so short sighted, there probably wouldn’t be enough money to educate the kids.”
Data from the 2016-17 Education Budget indicate that $1.6 million will be spent on the redevelopment of the school until the end of this financial year. The budget also indicates that no further funding will be provided to the Ultimo Public School project due for completion in 2019.
The Upper House inquiry is set to make land available for the construction of a new site. Mr Shoebridge told City Hub that a school that meets the needs of the community is essential.
“Public land needs to be made available for the best public outcome,” Mr Shoebridge said.
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