Moved by Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Miller,
seconded by Councillor Gannon -
It is resolved that:
(A)
Council
note that:
(i)
across Sydney,
housing density is increasing in line with NSW Government policies and targets.
We are concerned our resident population will increase beyond the capacity of
our existing schools, especially in high-growth areas such as Waterloo,
Redfern, Green Square, Ultimo-Pyrmont and Bays West. The community has
specifically raised concerns about the future capacity of schools in our area,
particularly around Green Square;
(ii)
however,
there is limited information about school capacity publicly available, and in
places we know new schools are needed, the Department of Education has not
committed the land or funding to provide this;
(iii)
the
Green Square urban renewal area is Australia’s most densely populated urban
precinct at scale, with a projected population of ~64,000 residents by 2046,
and demographic forecasts indicate that the number of high school-aged children
in the precinct will reach approximately 1,200 to 1,300 students by 2030,
effectively doubling the 2021 secondary school-age population;
(iv)
the
City of Sydney’s Social Infrastructure Needs Assessment confirms that this
population density requires at least one additional dedicated government high
school to prevent an education gap for students graduating from the Green
Square Public School (K–6), which opened in October 2025 as a joint venture
between the City of Sydney and the NSW Government;
(v)
under
the Education Act 1990, the NSW Government is responsible for the provision of
public education, and the 2025–26 NSW State Budget committed $9 billion to
public school infrastructure with a specific focus on co-educational high
schools and vertical urban campuses in a commitment that creates a direct
opportunity to address the secondary education gap in Green Square;
(vi)
significant state-owned landholdings exist
(inclusive of a site owned by the Department of Education) within Green Square
and Waterloo, managed by agencies including Sydney Water, Transport for NSW and
Landcom, which could be suitable for a new public high school, following the
necessary planning processes and approvals;
(vii)
the
Green Square Primary School P&C, in collaboration with Deputy Lord Mayor
Councillor Jess Miller, has lodged an ePetition to the NSW Legislative Assembly
titled “Building Our Future: A Public High School for Green Square”, drawing
the attention of the House to the precinct’s rapidly growing secondary
school-age population, noting that Alexandria Park Community School is growing
at 5–7% per annum and is projected to reach capacity by 2027–2028, that nearly
48% of families leave the Green Square precinct when their children reach high
school age, and calling on the NSW Government to undertake feasibility research
on a new public high school in Green Square and commission a report assessing
the impact of increasing student numbers on surrounding secondary schools;
(B)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to identify ways in which the City of
Sydney can support the petition through promotion across Council-owned and run
channels such as community notice boards, newsletters etc; and
(C)
the
Lord Mayor be requested to write to the NSW Premier, the Minister for Education
and Early Learning, and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to request:
(i)
a
public high school needs analysis for the City of Sydney, including the Green
Square and Waterloo areas, to account for the projected 2026–2046 population
surge there, and report the findings as soon as possible; and
(ii)
that
the NSW Government prioritise the delivery of a secondary school in Green
Square, potentially utilising a state-owned site in the area.
Carried unanimously.
X113761