Sydney Olympic Park new high school

We do need a high school in the Wentworth Point/SOP area, and I would not object to this project if not for the terrible location chosen. The Hill Road access to the far north end of Wentworth Point is not nearly wide enough to accomodate the increased pressure on traffic a school here would create. We also have poor public transport infrastructure as is, and the additional pressure on the bus routes concerns me. I am also concerned about the lack of available space for expansion of the school, as the primary school has already hit capacity within a few years of opening and I expect a similar rapid trajectory will occur with the high school. I note that while an Environmental Assessment is available, I see no Social Impact report. I request this be done before the project proceeds.

NON-EXISTENT SCHOOL PARKING FACILITIES

As a resident in Burroway Road I have a concern about traffic congestion in the area, and in particular in relation to parking. There appears to be no allocation for on-site parking for staff or visitors within the grounds of the proposed high school.

I acknowledge that I have seen a reference to a bicycle/scooter parking in the plan and a proposed roadway on the eastern boundary of the school site which will include 'angled' parking.
• Are these spaces exclusively for the use of the school?
• Are they related in some way to the proposed (and already approved) marina development and/or the now delayed Peninsula Park development?

As the school is to be developed for upwards of 1500 students (following completion of Stage 2) this means the staffing numbers of teachers, administration and support staff will be well over 100 and more.
• Where are these staff members meant to park?
• Senior students will also drive cars. Where are they to park?
• Where will visitors (e.g. contractors, Departmental staff, consultants) and parents attending meetings, assemblies, concerts etc park?

Because of the nature of high-rise apartment living in this area street parking is already at a premium and has become an issue with staff, parents and visitors to Wentworth Point Public School.

I have read the information provided about traffic and transport plans, which includes public transport options (some of which are yet to or may not be built e.g. light rail); cycling, and walking.

I have a major question of how staff (human) attitudes and behaviour will be changed, especially for the large number of staff who will work at the school, if the idea is that these people are being asked not to drive their cars to work and park in close proximity to the school and use public transport instead.

As a recently retired school principal I have many insights into the workings of schools and also the development of new school facilities. School staff, parents, community members and visitors to school sites should be provided with reasonable parking capacity on-site, based on the anticipated enrolment numbers. If this is not the case the local community will undoubtedly face huge issues with traffic and parking problems.

Can you please provide me with information about how the plans for the school cater for the parking needs of the school now and into the future and importantly, the expected impact on the local community.

As mentioned in your Social Impact Assessment, Wentworth Point as one of the most densely populated suburbs in NSW, it currently lacks open space and recreation facilities. With a few new apartment construction currently are underway and more to come in the future (e.g. Block H subject to site-specific DCP), the congestion is going to be an increasingly more pressing issue for the local residents. In addition, the demographics of WWP is made up of approximately 60% between 20-39 years living in couple households or by themselves. This does imply a hugely high demand for a high school in the area in comparison for the demand of common space such as parks or facility center. I do not see a overwhelming benefits of building a high school in the suburb where land is already scarce and population density is already high. The land should be utilized to meet the real need of the local residents instead.

I object to the project on the following grounds -
1) The volume of vehicle traffic on Hill Road which is the only means of road travel to and from the proposed High School is already at full capacity during morning peak morning and afternoon times . This makes it virtually impossible to enter Hill Road from side streets at these times and the prospect of increased vehicle traffic during the construction phase of the proposed High School and after the school opens will be chaotic for local residents.
2) Government bus routes 526 and 533 to and from Rhodes Railway Station are currently full during morning and afternoon peak travel times. The prospect of some 1,500 school students seeking to pack onto already full buses during these times will impact severely on local residents trying to travel by bus.
3) The free community shuttle bus which operates between Rhodes and Wentworth Point is also currently operating at full capacity during peak morning and afternoon travel times. This bus is only funded until the end of 2022 and if it ceases to operate at that time the existing Government buses will not be able to meet the passenger demand. This problem will only be made worse when the school opens.
4) The on again /off again light rail project will not solve the transport needs of students as this project will not cover the school catchment area.
5) Again the ferry service to Sydney Olympic Park ferry terminal will not cover the school catchment area.
6) The project does not provide for adequate parking for teachers and staff. There is very limited parking available in local streets so it would appear that they will have to compete with local residents for the inadequate public transport available.
6) A sporting field is proposed but again proposed parking is inadequate for those who will use the sporting field and this will also impact local residents.
Please investigate other suitable sites on which to construct a High School in the Sydney Olympic Park Area and select a site which has more than one street access.

First, I request for Stage 1 and Stage 2 to be done together. Funding for Stage 2 was in the last Budget but this SSDA states Stage 2 "construction is subject to approval of additional funding". Building it concurrently will reduce construction disruptions for our students and nearby residents.
Next, I request that the project includes a proper car park for the staff (possibly underground). The current plan shows a total of 30 car parking spaces will be provided along the future eastern road. Staff will utilise the parking spaces during school hours, and the spaces will be available to the public out of school hours. This is grossly inadequate for a school of this size. The impact of the lack of car park space for staff at Wentworth Point Public School has been felt, with 2/3 of the staff required to pay for their parking out of pocket for two out of three weeks, five days a week, based on a tri-weekly parking roster. This is also due to the lack of free and unmetered street parking around the school, which therefore forces staff to pay an additional $3 a day to park at Marina Square. This equates to approximately $270 a year out of pocket per staff member, which cannot be claimed on tax.
Finally, I request for an extra (dedicated) playing field as the proposed playing field will be a shared facility with the wider community under a joint use agreement. This is grossly inadequate for our suburb with a masterplan of almost 28,000 residents. The proposed mixed use development on the eastern side of the site (which is still government owned) should be returned to the community to facilitate more open space for Wentworth Point. The initial plan for the primary school had included a playing field but that never eventuated.

There is no mention of the telecommunications infrastructure except to say that the Telstra connections will be disconnected and removed. Wentworth Point does not have a cell tower in the suburb. As each development is completed, connection to Telstra and Vodafone are unreliable, dropping out too frequently each day.
I can't conduct Zoom meetings from home and have to drive up to Sydney Olympic Park with a Telstra dongle to get a reliable connection.
Introducing 1500 students plus staff to the area is a huge load on the available poor connections. You must take into account that students will use their phones and tablets and laptops outside the school boundaries. The area won't cope unless one of the major telcos agree to install a tower on the land available from Parramatta Council.
The transport on Hill Road will be a nightmare for residents trying to get access to Hill Road.
The assumption that 1500 kids will ride a bicycle to school is so 1950s. Parents will drop them off in a car, as they do to the Primary School now.
There are less than 600 students in WP (ABS) so the majority of students will be transported from other suburbs.
Telecommunications infrastructure is needed for the area to cope before more development occurs.
Transport infrastructure must be looked at before approval begins.

I believe that Stage 1 and Stage 2 should be delivered together. I am concerned about construction disruptions for our students and residents who live near the school, so building these 2 stages together will assist in this process.
The plan needs to provide more open space, as the proposed playing field will be a shared facility with the wider community. We have a large and rapidly growing community at Wentworth Point, with so many new apartments being constructed: so public space is a precious commodity. Given the State Government owns the eastern side of the site of this plan, I strongly believe this should be placed in the hands to the community for recreational purposes which is clearly in demand.
Finally, I am extremely concerned that the plan only provides for only 30 car parking spaces. This is not enough, as both teachers and administration staff will require the parking spaces during school hours. This will be a real problem for the new staff and indeed many may not apply for these jobs because of this problem. I would suggest consideration be given to either additional underground parking or a 2 level parking station to ensure all employees gain parking spaces

I object to the project in its current form. This is a large development at the end of a peninsula with one main road in and one road out. That one road is currently under pressure because of the amount of traffic now. There are more apartments planned throughout Wentworth Point and approved by the State Govt and this obviously means an increase in population with an increase in traffic.
On top of that, the current plans for the high school show the school using public parkland for a sporting ground. This decreases the usable portion of the park for residents. Young children and older people cannot be expected to share this area with school-age children playing their sport. It is an unworkable situation for both residents and pupils. Wentworth Point is seriously short of parkland. We are close to Sydney Olympic Park, but it is not a short or easy walk, especially for young children, and the accessible areas of SOP are for cycling and walking only. Peninsular Park will be the only playing field within easy reach for the residents. Please give the school a dedicated playing field. To offset the loss of parkland and give residents the park they were promised years ago, the land to the east of the school should be returned to parkland instead of being used for apartments. Our promised park has not only been delayed for years, it keeps getting reduced in size. For the wellbeing of the students and residents, please allow this park to be a proper park with the school's playground separate from the public park. All communities need proper open space for relaxation and games but it is critical that high-density areas have proper parkland.
We will have a steady stream of large trucks down our congested access road while building of this high school is going on. To reduce disruption, can Stages 1 and 2 please be completed concurrently. Funding for Stage 2 has been approved by the State Govt.
Lastly, school should get a proper carpark instead of the staff having to use the street, as currently planned. Again, this inhibits the use of the park for residents. Disabled people, visitors, people with young children who cannot walk to the park will need to park. If the teachers are using the street for parking who else can park there? And what about the students who drive? There will be no unoccupied spots left in or around the park. Please build a proper car park and leave parking spaces in the park for residents who need it.

To whom it may concern,

There are several items that I object in relation to this SSDA.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 should be delivered together. Funding for Stage 2 was announced in the last Budget but this SSDA states Stage 2 "construction is subject to approval of additional funding". I was under the impression that this funding has already been approved. Building it concurrently will greatly reduce construction disruptions for the current students and nearby residents.

A proper car park for the staff (possibly underground) should be part of the plan of the school. The current plan shows a total of 30 car parking spaces will be provided along the future eastern road. This is grossly inadequate for a school of this size. There would be at least 100 school staff on site daily. Plus there is no provision for student parking. I understand the expectation that most students will travel by foot but not even one car space has been considered for the students.

An extra (dedicated) playing field should be include as part of the SSDA as the proposed playing field will be a shared facility with the wider community. This is grossly inadequate for our suburb with a masterplan of almost 28,000 residents. The proposed mixed use development on the eastern side of the site (which is still government owned) should be returned to the community to facilitate more open space for Wentworth Point. The initial plan for the primary school also had included a playing field but that never eventuated. The community should not be robbed again.

Dear Major Projects,

There are several items that I object in relation to this SSDA.

The P&C would like to recommend Stage 1 and Stage 2 be delivered together. Funding for Stage 2 was announced in the last Budget but this SSDA states Stage 2 "construction is subject to approval of additional funding". Our school was not planned properly and hence, we are also waiting on Stage 2 while the demountables keep coming. Building it concurrently will greatly reduce construction disruptions for our students and future students.

The P&C would like a proper car park for the staff (possibly underground). Our school's staff carpark is over capacity from the first year of operation. The current proposal of 30 car parking spaces is grossly inadequate for a school of this size. There would be at least 100 school staff on site daily. This puts pressure on the teaching staff on a daily basis and impacts on the school as an attractive place to work.

The P&C would like an extra (dedicated) playing field to be part of the SSDA as the proposed playing field will be a shared facility with the wider community. This is grossly inadequate for our suburb with a masterplan of almost 28,000 residents. The proposed mixed use development on the eastern side of the site (which is still government owned) should be returned to the community to facilitate more open space for Wentworth Point. The initial plan for our school also had a playing field but that never eventuated. This should not be repeated for the high school community.

Below are the objections to the SSDA:

1) Stage 1 and Stage 2 to be delivered together. Funding for Stage 2 was in the last Budget but this SSDA states Stage 2 "construction is subject to approval of additional funding". Building it concurrently will reduce construction disruptions for our students and nearby residents.

2) A proper car park for the staff (possibly underground). The current plan shows a total of 30 car parking spaces will be provided along the future eastern road. Staff will utilise the parking spaces during school hours, and the spaces will be available to the public out of school hours. This is grossly inadequate for a school of this size.

3) An extra (dedicated) playing field as the proposed playing field will be a shared facility with the wider community under a joint use agreement. This is grossly inadequate for our suburb with a masterplan of almost 28,000 residents. The proposed mixed use development on the eastern side of the site (which is still government owned) should be returned to the community to facilitate more open space for Wentworth Point. The initial plan for the primary school had included a playing field but that never eventuated.

I object to the project as proposed.

I ask that Stage 1 and Stage 2 to be delivered together. Building it concurrently will reduce construction disruptions for all stakeholders.

Include a proper car park for the staff (possibly underground). The current plan shows a total of 30 car parking spaces on the road. This is grossly inadequate for a school of this size. Staff will be forced to park in the suburb, further exacerbating the lack of parking in Wentworth Point and increasing the interaction between staff/students and traffic causing increased risk of an accident.

Include a dedicated playing field. Since the proposed playing field will be a shared facility with the wider community it is grossly inadequate for our suburb with a masterplan of almost 28,000 residents and unfair for the students. The initial plan for the primary school had included a playing field but that never eventuated, don’t steal this opportunity from the high school as well.

1) As a retired high school teacher I have extensive experience working in schools in Sydney. I worked in three new schools during my career. I am extremely concerned about the delivery of the school in two stages. There are very good reasons for completing schools in a single stage. As a Deputy Principal in charge of properties in a large Western Sydney High School, I observed first-hand the disruption and organisational difficulties caused by large building projects. A two-stage model will impact the students' education with disruption to access to specialist teaching facilities. It will also create completely unnecessary work health and safety hazards. I am concerned that a two-stage development will cause a delay in the completion of a school that has already has been delayed by over a decade. There can be no argument about the demand for both stages with the dramatic population growth in the Homebush Bay peninsula.

2) The plan does not meet the needs of students or staff regarding access or parking. My understanding is that the new school has a Support Unit for students with a disability. The only accessible parking for school transport vehicles appears to be on the proposed Eastern Road. This will make access for many students and staff extremely challenging. A more accessible location for students and staff with disabilities needs to be made a priority. This is an embarrassing and potentially dangerous oversight. I'm sure it will be raised by others but the staff parking allocation is ridiculous. How staff are supposed to transport resources by public transport or active transport is unclear. To make the situation even crazier the carpark is somehow shared with the community, out of hours. As a Deputy Principal, there was rarely a week when I wasn't required to attend an after school function or meeting.

3) I was also a Sydney West Sports Convenor for almost 10 years. I am well aware of Joint use agreements and their benefits and limitations. The proposal for one shared oval between two schools (well in access of 2,000 students and growing rapidly), a community already in access of 14,000 (Wentworth Point alone) and other local groups is completely inadequate. At least one additional playing field is needed now. The government-owned land to the east of the school needs to be returned to the community and incorporated into this proposal.

I object to the points listed in my submission but overall, support the project.

While the Town Team supports a high school project, there are many incomplete elements in this project, which we object to.

Please keep away from major roads to minimise impacts of school zones on traffic

There is completely inadequate parking for the high school staff and visitors - the suburb already has insufficient street parking for its residents and this will only exacerbate the issue. Additional parking should be built on the school grounds - neighbouring buildings have underground complexes, so it should be possible. It would also be very disruptive to build the school in two stages - not to mention that the school is likely to quickly become insufficient if only stage 1 is built. This has occurred with the primary school next door. The two stages should be built together.

The playing field for shared use between the high school and community is also grossly inadequate. No additional playing field was ever developed for the primary school (as initially planned) and the government owned land to the east of the high school site should NOT be used for residential development, but instead used to provide green space for Wentworth Point and its planned 28,000 residents. No other publicly owned land is available for this purpose and children are currently playing in concrete car parks due to the lack of space.

See attached

I am the President of the Wentworth Point Public School Parents & Citizens Association (WPPS P&C). I represent over 610 families within our school community. I would like to raise the following matters on behalf of the P&C:

Reduction in student capacity
A reduction in student capacity from 1,530 to 850 students will be detrimental to the future of the high school. An 850 student high school will reach capacity within 3 years, just like the primary school did next door. Furthermore, a high school with 850 students still deserve a playing field. This shouldn't be used as an excuse to reduce student capacity so that the Dept can deliberately cut corners.

Reduction in size of school hall
A reduction in the size of the school hall is troubling. This amended proposal is already aiming to reduce open space, now it proposes to reduce student spaces. The primary school next door does not even have a proper hall to house the entire school for assemblies. History should not repeat itself for the high school.

School bus parking
The proposal for school bus parking on Ferry Wharf Circuit is not possible because the subject location will be eliminated by the Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 alignment.

Staff parking
The high school will require approximately 200 teaching and administrative staff. The proposal for 29 parking spaces will be insufficient. It is also not feasible to assume school staff will live close enough to commute by active transport. The lack of parking space has affected talent recruitment at the primary school next door which also lacks staff carpark spaces.

Traffic congestion
Contrary to the proposal's expectation that the majority of students will be walking to school, according to the latest 2021 Census, only 219 secondary high school students live within Wentworth Point. This means the majority of the anticipated enrolments will be from out of the area. Due to limited public transport services into Wentworth Point, these students will most likely arrive by car.

I am petitioning for Wentworth point high school not to be decreasing in numbers and open opportunities for Newington residence we have been waiting more than a decade for opportunity for our children for a local high school it absolutely is appalling that it’s come down to the wire and not in the best interest for the community and out people. We are obviously excited and very strong in our belief that a local high school has finally made our way and with little findings and understanding that you need to residents might not be able to enter this high school it absolutely is appalling. I ask New South Wales government to reconsider and cater extra student headcount for the local community and as a preference to Newington residents we’ve been here from the start and we would like to continue to contribute to the community.