Sites named for western suburbs school

The state government has revealed four possible locations for a new public secondary school in Perth’s western suburbs, but the opposition says the plans are well behind schedule.

Planning for the new school follows rapid growth in enrolments and the closure of four older high schools in the area in the 1990s.

The Department of Education is looking at four locations that could accommodate 2,000 year 7-12 students.

Vacant land on the corner of Rochdale and Wollaston roads, vacant land on the corner of The Boulevard and West Coast Highway, Skyline Drive-In site/former City Beach High School site, and vacant land at Fred Burton Park are the four land options shortlisted.

Mr Collier said the department would also begin planning to expand Shenton College and Mount Lawley Senior High School, while $38.8 million has already been allocated to expand Churchlands Senior High School.

“Shenton College, Churchlands Senior High School and Mount Lawley Senior High School have experience massive enrolment growth, and our public schools have increased their market share for the past five years,” Education Minister Peter Collier said.

“Perth is a growing city and our schools must grow with them. We’ve become a victim of our own success.”

Labor education spokesperson Sue Ellery said planning for the new school should have begun years ago.

She said Churchlands and Shenton College had come under enormous enrolment pressures after the then minister for education, Colin Barnett, closed Hollywood, Swanbourne, City Beach and Scarborough senior high schools in the 1990s.

“We should be a lot closer to seeing the new school than we are today,” Ms Ellery said.

“Last year, the minister announced planning was under way for a new high school in the Scarborough-Churchlands area. It’s taken him 10 months to identify four possible sites.

“To keep up with population growth the Barnett government needs to be opening at least six primary schools a year, but the last two budgets have only allocated funding for four primary schools.”