New High School in Bungendore

A new high school for Bungendore is a much needed addition to our community. It will reduce the number of high school age children having to go outside our local region and usually across state borders to attend high school.
It will increase teaching jobs and facilities for the community and improved facilities for our children to aid their education.
Having a high school in our community will also allow children to have part time jobs after school with of it having to travel outside the community.

It’s a fantastic proposal that will benefit Bungendore and the surrounds for many many years to come.

I strongly object to the siting of the proposed high school for numerous reasons.
1.The school will be constructed across an important access road (Majara St) This road gives access to most of Elmslea to the village centre and the Kings Hwy.
2.The school buildings will extend over part of Bungendore Park and the Common. (extremely popular off leash dog area)
3.Bungendore Park has been the centre of our historic village since 1884,it contains the war memorial and is bordered by many historically significant buildings.It also contains many pine trees that are directly descended from Gallipoli (the seeds were sent home to a soldiers mother from the war front)
.4.Our swimming pool will be demolished. The pool was built with community donations and much time and effort by the community.
5.Our Community centre and Library will be demolished. This was also built because of our community's hard work and many dedicated volunteers.
6.There is no room for expansion of the high school. Bungendore is rapidly growing and will outgrow the high school before it is even completed.
7.The nsw education dept. recommends a minimum of 4 hectares for a high school-the proposed site is only 2.5 hectares approx. Surely this will have a detrimental impact on the educational standards of the proposed school ?
8.The unique historical character of Bungendore will be destroyed.Many Canberrans take the short drive to Bungendore because of its old world charm and support the local businesses.This support may well be lost.
9.There are much more suitable sites available for the high school where the dept of educations minimum requirements of land size could be easily met.
10.The school will be right beside the railway line. Surely this must pose a safety risk for students.
11.There has not been sufficient community consultation (practically none) for a construction project of this size and one that will radically alter the village of Bungendore

I OBJECT to the state-significant development application # SSD-14394209.
I strongly object to the development of a High School on the existing Mike Sherd Oval in Bungendore.
This oval belongs to the community of Bungendore and is not a site for a High School.
A school on this site will be too large, now but also over the years to come as Bungendore continues to grow. The proposed location is at maximum density on the proposed site and doesnt allow room for future expansion.
The oval is used for sport and community activities and by many visitors to the town who want a park to take a break.
I am regularly asked at work if I can direct visitors to the Park.
To put a High School in this location means the Village will loose yet another green space.
It has been Crown Land for over 100 years and should remain so.
I feel that the most suitable site for the school should be where the new sports hub is now being built on the western side of Bungendore. Instead of ripping up what is currently the Park, just build on a new greenfield site.
It just makes sense to do that and there will be room for expansion in future.
It is said that flooding issues are there.Flooding issues are everywhere in Bungendore , just look at all the new developments especially down Ellendon Street.
Teenagers need to be busy . Having a new High School connected to the new sports hub means they can be involved with sport straight from school and be able to walk and not need parents to drop them off.
Traffic disruptions will completely change the Bungendore central area and restrict flow around the town. If it was located at the new Sporting Hub, there would be existing road access from North, West, South and Easterly directions without changing the village oval area.
We have lived here for 30 years and think that this is a shortsighted decision rather than a strategic long term solution.
The State member attempted to railroad this location for expediency without consideration for keeping the village atmosphere that residents want.

I object to SSDA 14394209. I object to the construction of a Bungendore High School on the currently proposed site. I object to the destruction of many key aspects of the historic Bungendore Park (gazetted approx 1880) and community swimming pool. Heritage destroyed cannot be replaced. I object to the school using the oval during school hours and thus preventing its use by families with under 5 yr olds during those times.
I object to the size of the proposed high school which is much smaller than the size required to provide adequate facilities for students to have a well rounded education. The published preferred area for a regional High School in NSW is 4Ha. The site is less than 75% of this. There will be insufficient room for the student population to increase in the future without significant detriment to amenity, safety and education. This is particularly so when the future of education will need to accomodate ongoing physical distancing requirement to remain A Covid safe environment.
There are other sites that are well located and provide more adequate space such as the site at Ashby on Tarago Road.
I also object to the sharing of facilities between the primary and High School. Having had experience with a K-12 school in the ACT, I have observed that such sharing can be detrimental to both the primary and High School students. I lived in Bungendore for over 12 years so my objections are based in experience as a resident.
I urge you to refuse planning permission for this proposal and encourage a proposal for a High School on an alternative site.

1. The proposed site will usurp a large part of Bungendore Park. This was gazetted in 1884 and is Heritage Listed due to the presence of the Bungendore War Memorial.
The presence of the Park as the green heart of Bungendore is essential to retaining its character as a 19th Century village, particularly in view of the projected population growth.
2. The Park also contains facilities for Community use such as the swimming pool, football and cricket field, tennis courts. If access is reduced to these it will community recreation.
3. The proposed site for the Bungendore High School is simply too small at 2.9Ha. My understanding is that the published preferred area for a high school in regional NSW is 4Ha. There is no room for growth, and the Bungendore (and surrounding area) population is increasing rapidly with ongoing housing developments and subdivision.
4. My understanding is that there was an initial preferred site for the high school - the property "Ashby" located on Tarago Rd, closely adjacent to the area of population growth in Bungendore. This property has no space limitations, is not subject to flooding, and does not require significant demolition as it is essentially a greenfields site.

In summary, my objection is not to the high school per se, but to it's location. The plan to usurp Bungendore Park is significantly flawed on Heritage, environmental loss of precious green space in the heart of a growing village/ town, and practical grounds - for the proper functioning and future growth of the Bungendore High School.

Please place schools away from major roads in order to avoid slowing down traffic with school zones

I object to the proposal for the following reasons
-The historical value of the Park itself & the surrounding buildings & streetscape.
-There are other options for a high school site.
-The importance of retaining the park for community involvement & the attraction for visitors alike, the Park is a well utilized part of our historic village, used for sports, ANZAC Day, entertainment & gatherings too numerous to mention.

FORMAL OBJECTION TO SSDA 14394209 T

Dear Sir or Madam

I refer to the above state-significant development application, and wish to make known my objections.

I object to the proposal, for the following reasons:

Firstly, it is clear that a high school in Bungendore would be of great benefit, however because we are a town in rural NSW close to the ACT and HQJOC any high school here should have ample room for expansion. The current proposal is for a school to house just over 400 students. This appears to be inadequate with the continuing sub-division which is occurring here. The tiny footprint is not even the required size for high schools and would not provide all the amenities a good high school should provide. So my first objection is that what is proposed is too small because there is no room for expansion and such things as adequate agricultural land would not be available .

Secondly, the site of the high school is not acceptable as it robs the town of its heart – our park. The Bungendore Park is our green space, it is our recreational space, it is our sporting space, and it is where we go to pay respects on Anzac Day. The park stands amid some of the notable landmarks in Bungendore, opposite the oldest standing building in Butmaroo Street, near the Bungendore Railway Station and opposite the old Catholic primary school. If sited here the High School would mean we lose our swimming pool (which many of us helped raise funds for), our community centre, our council chambers and offices and a portion of what is known as the Mick Sherd Oval which is, in fact, part of the Bungendore Park.The edge of the park is home to our cenotaph, a historical drinking fountain, old trees of great significance and the poets corner.

A third objection I have is the way in which the site has become ‘the only suitable site’ when clearly, another site on the Tarago Road was not only suitable but much larger and more appropriate. There have been other sites too which have been deemed not suitable but the reasons for this are not clear. The whole procedure of the choice of this site seems to have been underhand and seems to deliver a site which will not be able to give the future pupils of the school the best standard of education possible. It is difficult to decipher among all the papers and procedures whose interests are being served with the choice of this school site.

Lastly the site chosen in this proposal has made no allowance for the volume of traffic a High School in this position will create. You only have to go down Majara Street, Gibraltar Street and try to get into the Railway Station around school drop off or pick up times. The station forecourt, Majara Street, the top of Gibraltar Street are all completely full. It is already dangerous for children who walk or bike to school. Where are the extra cars going to park while dropping off their high school students? Where are the year 12 students, the school staff going to park. It will cause traffic bedlam and lovely quiet streets like Turallo Terrace, Butmaroo Street and others will all suffer.
If Bungendore is to have a high school I would hope that it would be a state of the art high school. We need to aim for more than 400 students. As a former high school teacher, I know one of the main things which set schools apart from each other is what they can offer. If Bungendore High School has a population of 400 then the senior school is going to be very small and the choices offered will be limited. If students can’t get the choices they want at Bungendore High School, then they won’t go there. That will create a vicious cycle, less students less choices. There is a chance to build a school in this area which can offer a creative and expansive program if it is built where there are possibilities for growth for offering a rich and dynamic curriculum. Please let us not throw that away by choosing this inadequate site which will also spoil the only green space in the centre of town.

I have not, and no associate of mine, has made any political donation to any person in the 2 years preceding this submission.

Yours sincerely,
Jenny Cave

I strongly object to the site location of the proposed Bungendore high school on the Bungendore park. I support the original decision by the department to locate the school on the Ashby property Tarago road. This proposal would enable the department to build a high school of appropriate size with the potential for long term growth related to population growth trends for Bungendore region.
My objection to the current proposal is threefold.
The footprint of the school is too small and does not allow for future growth of population growth unlike the primary school which has a footprint which has allowed for a three fold increase in school population over 40 years. The small size of the footprint limits the range of curriculum for this regional high school and therefore the range of opportunities for a diverse population.
The impact on the Bungendore park which has been for many years and is currentlyan important cultural, social. and exercise centre for the town is fatal for the park, the plan allows for removal of important sections of the park including the swimming pool, gathering centre and open spaces of a park and adjoining road. The claim that the park will be a shared facility with high school and community is a sham the park will not be available to community during school hours . To prevent this there needs to be a fence round the open space as most schools are gated communities for many good reasons but this fence is not included in the plan. Why not? Does future expansion of school see removal of park area totally for the community.
The argument put of importance of the educational precinct has few benefits for the primary school and a number of losses as they lose walking distance to access to swimming pool which is an important part of developing water safety for the children and the pool has had a positive influence as seen in how BPS has done in area and regional swimming carnivals, they also lose easy access to open space for phd classes and also the increase in traffic congestion due to high school and road closure can only lead to potential for increased accidents. The identified parking areas areas in the plan are already fully used by the primary school at drop off and pick up times and do not cater for extra traffic caused by the location of the high school and the road closure.
I strongly object to the location of the high school on Bungendore Park which seems to have been a political / economic decision motivated by the local member and Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council and not for sound educational reasons which the original siting of the high school on Ashby property on Tarago Road represents.
Thank you for your attention

I strongly object to the siting of the proposed high school. My reasons are noted below:
1.The school will be constructed across a major access road (Majara St) that currently allows residents from Elmslea to the village, primary school, pre school and the Kings Hwy. All this traffic will now be diverted to travel down Turralo terrace.
2.The school buildings will extend and consume areas of the Bungendore Park and the Common. This area is used by many residents as an off leash area
3.Bungendore Park is the centre of our village since 1884,it has the war memorial and has many historically significant buildings. It also contains many pine trees that are directly descended from Gallipoli (the seeds were sent home to a soldiers mother from the war front)
4.The current plan is to demolish our small but very well used swimming pool, that was built with community donations and much time and effort put in by the community.
5.The Norah Star Centre and Library will be demolished. The new proposal is for the Primary School library to now be shared with the High School. This is just absurd! The Community Centre too was built with the community's hard work and many dedicated volunteers. Norah Star being a long term resident and community nurse and devoted many community hours.
6.The site that's proposed leaves no room for extension. Bungendore is rapidly growing and will outgrow the high school before it is even completed.
7.The recommendation is a minimum of 4 hectares for a high school-the proposed site is only 2.5 hectares approx. This will have a detrimental impact on the educational standards of the proposed school ?
8.The historical character of Bungendore will be destroyed. The businesses of Bungendore rely on tourist from all over to visit, because of its old world charm and to also support their local business. This support may well be lost.
9.There are many available and practical sites for the high school where the dept. of educations minimum requirements of land size could be easily met. Why are we not utilising them? Why was there no community consultation on this matter. This issue alone needs to be addressed.
10.The question must also be raised as to the future of our current war memorial in which many people spill onto the park for the event. This significant site has been here since around WW1.
11.There has not been enough community consultation for a construction project of this size and one that will radically alter the village of Bungendore.
12. The amount of traffic and buses this will generate on Turallo Terrace poses a safety risk to all the children, especially the pre-school drop off and pick up, which coincides with the same hours as school. The small parking area that the Pre school currently has, will this be taken over by high school drop off and pick up
13. The amount of traffic that will now travel through Turallo terrace will be tripled, and there are many young families now living in Turrallo terrace.
14. Many of our children currently walk to school and the traffic and buses that will now be doubled, pose a significant risk to them.

I am writing in objection to the new High School in Bungendore SSD 14394209.
The reasons I object are that I was not represented in the community along with hundreds of others in Bungendore. For most of the planning of this project by John Barilaro, QPRC and the NSW Education Department there was consultation with the Bungendore Public School Principal and one community representative. The Principal of the Primary School is new to the school and does not live here and could not speak on behalf of the community. The 'one community representative' was from the lobby group pushing for the High School at all costs as soon as possible so her son could attend the High School. This is hardly a community rep. In fact the only other people consulted early on were the Presidents of the groups that use the oval and they were not allowed to discuss with their committees or members. One of the oldest users of the Bungendore Park are the Swimming Pool and they were not consulted at all. By the time the rest of the community was consulted it was in a survey which gave no scope to say that we did not want the school on our park. This was followed by the Hubs where we were told what the project would look like on the Park and no scope to say we did not want the school on our park. For the second time. Then there was a third 'community consultation hub' where there were police and security and again our comments of not wanting the school on the park could not be counted as we were not being asked that question.
The residents around the Bungendore Park were never consulted. The residents are going to be the most impacted by this High School as we are in situ 24 hours a day not just during school hours or business hours.
If the school goes ahead on the park the community are losing an important and historic asset and greenspace within the centre of the oldest part of the village. It is unheard of that an infrastructure like a school would be squeezed in where there is not enough room. A point which the Dept of Ed. would agree with. Eventually the whole park will be damaged by the high school and the oval will be over-used. The community are told we can not use the oval even though it belongs to us, during the school day. That in itself is outrageous.

Apart from that the centre of the village does not need or want the increased traffic that a high school will bring. We do not want the parking in our historic streets - Turallo Terrace, Butmaroo Street, Majara Street and Gibralter Street.

The noise building this project is at 'industrial levels' not suitable for residential areas.

I object to this location.
Rohan Soulsby
Street Address Withheld
Bungendore, NSW 2621.

I strongly object to the proposed site for the new Bungendore High School.

Reasons for the site objection are as follows:

• From a lifestyle perspective as relatively new resident to Bungendore, the town offers us a village atmosphere and centrally located green walking spaces with abundant birdlife. The appeal of the town is combination of historic buildings, tree lined streets, uncluttered buildings both residential and retail, plenty of walking and sitting areas to enjoy the country life. The proposed development will result in a reduction of green space and the introduction of school buildings destroys the environmental appeal of a walk into town alongside the historically significant buildings.
• The green space and trees that make up the Bungendore Common and Park precinct will be lost to school buildings. The area is the only green corridor in the town centre for walking and leisure activities.
• The proposed site appears cramped and involves street closure/impediment of traffic flow for the railway station, the housing across the creek and this is more so particularly during school hours. The site does not allow for any expansion of student high school numbers as the town grows, which is already happening rapidly. I refer to Bungendore’s population growth quoted in the QPRC Structure Plan 2018 – 2048 indicating a rise from 3,300 to 12,000. These figures are not unrealistic with the appeal of country living close to a major city an even more popular choice for people with the impact of the pandemic. People are seeking space to enjoy their life. There is no way the proposed High School site can accommodate the number of families moving to Bungendore and surrounds. There are already major housing developments to the north and south of the town demonstrating the rapid growth of Bungendore. Anything that is offered from a real estate perspective is selling as soon a sit is listed.
• I also understand that the proposed site (known as Bungendore Park) is Crown Land gazetted in 1884 dedicated for public recreation and for it to be the central focus of our historic village. It is certainly well used by the community as well as tourists as they travel through the town to the south coast and by Canberrans visiting by train or car.
• The Bungendore Common is included in the proposed site. This is a flood prone area and popular dog off leash area.

A high school for Bungendore is warranted given the projected population growth. But the site needs to be carefully considered and located to accommodate access as well as meet the growth we are already seeing in our town. Planning for this proposed site appears to be rushed and not fully considered from a bigger picture perspective. The proposed site would result in losing all that is appealing about Bungendore as it is historically known – “a small heritage village with environmental appeal.”

Nowhere is far to travel in Bungendore on foot, by bike or by car. There are opportunities to locate a high school into one of the many peripheral Greenfield sites slated for housing development. Developers could have as an inclusion the creation of a high school as part of their commitment to the town.

Being in close proximity to the new sports hub at the west of the town is certainly an area to investigate for a high school site which would maximise use of the new sports facilities,( currently under construction), by both high school students and the community.

By selecting a Greenfield site there is no demolition required, probably no major opposition to rezoning or land acquisition, no disruption to surrounding activities like access to the railway station, no road closure and no demolition of community green space and facilities.

I feel like the Auditor General’s recent report in the Sydney Morning Herald hit the nail on the head in regards to this matter:

“School Infrastructure NSW has been focused on delivering existing projects, election commitments and other government announcements. This has diverted attention from identifying and delivering projects that would have better met present and future student /classroom needs.”

There is considerable community objection to the proposed site for the High School and I certainly add my voice to their stand.

Kate Soulsby
Street Address Withheld
Bungendore, NSW 2621.

I am writing to object to the SSD 14394209, proposed High School in Bungendore because the proposed site being on Bungendore Park and Common is not suitable. A school cannot fit well in that location and expand as will be required in the future. If this goes ahead it destroys the Park and this can never be returned to its former glory as a community asset for recreational purposes. This area will have double storey buildings and other infrastructure on our community greenspace which is restricted and not expanded every time a new housing development is approved. In fact, there is no greenspace and parkland other than the Bungendore Park, the Common, the ponds and surround park on the north of Turallo Creek.
I have lived here in Bungendore for 25 years and it has increased in residents three-fold during this time, at least. It is busy and is expected to increase again many times over. How can a High School which is squeezed into this proposed site be big enough in the future? I would not like to see it then moved to another site and Bungendore Park to be left with useless buildings which we did not want in the first place.
The proposal, because of lack of space, is planning double storey buildings which are not in keeping with its surrounds. The Park is the historic centre of town with its oldest heritage buildings around it and nearby. This school will destroy the current ambiance and layout of the streetscape and park facilities. The park will become redundant to the community during school hours and the community is left with about half of what it had before the High School. This proposal also wants to take some of our Common, also gazetted as for public recreation and this proposal will plan to fence off a large area for its Ag plot. Also no further access to this piece of land.

The traffic will be redirected and the streets will be overrun with traffic and parking along the 'dress-circle' of the village - Turallo Terrace. This will cause further increases along Butmaroo Street and Gibralter as well as Turallo Terrace. these areas are already busy during school hours with the primary school and it is undeniable that the village will suffer in this area.

Apart from the impact on the roads due to increased traffic, noise and lack of access to what is our Park, the community was not asked properly about this project being put on this site. Rather it was told at the announcement by John Barilaro. He had consulted with one person from the lobby group to have a High School in Bungendore and other options which were, apparently, not suitable, were dropped. Some of those sites, for example Ashby, would be more suitable as they would be also in enough space and near new developments in north Bungendore and along a main thoroughfare.

The consultation process was not inclusive of the local residents around Bungendore Park or 99% of the community. It was a done deal by the time we heard about it. There were secret squirrels and back door deals done and this is to the detriment of this village for the future. We will be left with a sub-standard school without enough facilities and in the wrong place without the opportunity of expansion.

Many of the community organisations were not consulted. The Swimming Pool, the Community Centre etc. These are organisations that took effort and a lot of community resources and money to set up.

I object to this proposal and want to see other sites looked at again.
Kate Soulsby

I object on the grounds that it will destroy a community facility and is a stupid idea to have a school so close to a primary school with all the small children about where young 'P" plate drivers are trying to impress the young ladies.

I strongly object to the proposed site for the new Bungendore High School.

Reasons for the site objection are as follows:

• As a new resident to Bungendore in regards to this project, in particular the site selection, there has been a lack of genuine and timely consultation with the community. All of a sudden a site has been determined with little communication regarding information about other sites considered and why they were unsuitable. The process has not been transparent.
• The green space and trees that make up the Bungendore Common and Park precinct will be lost to school buildings. The area is the only green corridor in the town centre for walking and leisure activities. The open space will be lost along with the removal of 70 trees to make way for the school buildings.
• The proposed site appears cramped and involves street closure/impediment of traffic flow for the railway station, the housing across the creek and this is more so particularly during school hours. The site does not allow for any expansion of student high school numbers as the town grows, which is already happening rapidly. I refer to Bungendore’s population growth quoted in the QPRC Structure Plan 2018 – 2048 indicating a rise from 3,300 to 12,000. These figures are not unrealistic with the appeal of country living close to a major city an even more popular choice for people with the impact of the pandemic. People are seeking space to enjoy life outdoors not hemmed in by buildings. The Education Department by its own admission has advised the 2.9 hectare site would be too small after just three years of operation. There is no way the proposed High School site can accommodate the number of families moving to Bungendore and surrounds. There are already major housing developments to the north and south of the town demonstrating the rapid growth of Bungendore.
• I also understand that the proposed site (known as Bungendore Park) is Crown Land gazetted in 1884 dedicated for public recreation and for it to be the central focus of our historic village. It is certainly well used by the community as well as tourists as they travel through the town to the south coast and by Canberrans visiting by train or car.
• The Bungendore Common is included in the proposed site. This is a flood prone area and popular dog off leash area.

A high school for Bungendore is warranted given the projected population growth. But the site needs to be carefully considered and located to accommodate access as well as meet the growth we are already seeing in our town. Planning for this proposed site appears to be rushed and not fully considered from a bigger picture perspective. The proposed site would result in losing all that is appealing about Bungendore as it is historically known – “a small heritage village with environmental appeal.”

Nowhere is far to travel in Bungendore on foot, by bike or by car. There are opportunities to locate a high school into one of the many peripheral Greenfield sites slated for housing development. Developers could have as an inclusion the creation of a high school as part of their commitment to the town.

Being in close proximity to the new sports hub at the west of the town is certainly an area to investigate for a high school site which would maximise use of the new sports facilities,( currently under construction), by both high school students and the community.

By selecting a Greenfield site there is no demolition required, probably no major opposition to rezoning or land acquisition, no disruption to surrounding activities like access to the railway station, no road closure and no demolition of community green open space and existing facilities.

I feel like the Auditor General’s recent report in the Sydney Morning Herald hit the nail on the head in regards to this matter:

“School Infrastructure NSW has been focused on delivering existing projects, election commitments and other government announcements. This has diverted attention from identifying and delivering projects that would have better met present and future student /classroom needs.”

There is considerable community objection to the proposed site for the High School and I certainly add my voice to their stand/opposition.

OBJECTION TO STATE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION #SSD-14394209

I wish to strongly object to this application.
I do so on several topics I have issue with in the application, but will confine myself to the following-

• Appendix 18 is an apparently professional report on potential contamination of the proposed site and detailed the chemical analysis (for potential contaminants) from approximately 18 sampling sites (bore holes).

This report is severely deficient in that-
1. Although the presence of slightly high nickel levels in some of the bore holes was acknowledged, the presence of significantly elevated lead levels from bore holes 9 and 14 was not commented on These levels -98 and 380 mg/kg respectively- are at least a factor of 5-10 the levels in the majority of the bore holes. I note also that the levels of copper and zinc (and possibly chromium) at these two sample sites are higher than from the other bore holes.
The report makes no mention of this anomaly.

2. It does not clearly indicate the locations of the sampling sites within the proposed high school site. Consequently, construction workers and eventual users of the site- children and teachers-can have no indication of any potential hazard.
Until these points are acknowledged and addressed the Application should not proceed.

• The Social Impact Statement and the reports on which it is based play down or overlook the very sphere social disruption to the day-to-day operation of general life within Bungendore. For example -

1. The existing swimming pool will be demolished. The QPRC state that there will be a new pool built at a new sports hub in another area of the town, but if this occurs it will be at some uncertain time in the future.

2. Residents and visitors to Bungendore will have to share usage of the park with the school which means general usage of the oval and other public facilities within the park will be severely restricted.

3. A significant portion of the public Bungendore common will be incorporated into the school (for general agricultural instruction). This area is heavily used as an off-leash dog walking area and no alternative provisions to meet this need has been proposed.

4. As addendum to this, any expansion of the high school would necessarily encroach further into this area.

.


The choice of Bungendore Park as the preferred high scho0l site by the NSW Dept. of Education was made in August 2020. Just prior to that date the Department of Planning and Infrastructure had agreed to acquisition of a 100 ha. Site called “Ashby” on the main Bungendore-Tarago road and adjacent to major residential areas to the north of the town. This site is well within the stipulated 2.5 km from the town and appears to be a very suitable location for the school. The owner of this land was (and apparently still is) happy to sell to the Department of Education and like many Bungendore residents is perplexed as to why the location was changed to the main park at the last minute.
It is very clear that apart from the necessity to provide upgraded water, sewage and other infrastructure (common to any green field development), this site is very much better suited for the school than the Bungendore Park which is of very limited area imposing constraints on any future expansion.
Development of the new high school on this or a similar location would eliminate the problems associated with the present proposal while still providing all social the positive social benefits alluded to in the application.
To Conclude
The present development application should be abandoned and serious consideration given to a more suitable vacant site such as the one mentioned above.

Yours sincerely,
Robert Angel
Street Address Withheld Bungendore NSW 2621
Phone number Withheld

Bungendore is my local village and I use the facilities there on a daily basis. The Bungendore Park is a focal point of the village and with the rapid extension of housing estates, is a quiet green space for residents to enjoy. If the Park is lost, there will be no green space left within the village centre, nowhere for the residents to walk or the kids to play. Currently it has several amenities available, including the kids playground, the football ground, the war memorial, the tennis courts and of course the swimming pool. Many of these amenities will be gone forever, to be replaced by a fenced school premise.
While I support the building of a High School for Bungendore, I do not support building it, or any other large structure on the Bungendore Park.
Firstly, the area available is restrictive, smaller than the supposed minimum limit of 4Ha. This does not allow for any expansion of the school in the future and with the continual development of Bungendore, this will be a problem. Secondly, it seems that the wish to find a use for the existing Council Offices is driving the push to build the school in this location. So rather than designing the school from a clean slate, it will be compromised by trying to shoehorn it into a small plot, with an existing and probably unsuitable building. Thirdly, there is currently an issue of lead contamination along the rail corridor, which will run alongside the new school.
Bungendore has acres of open land surrounding it, many of which are already planned for further housing. There is ample space to build a new high school, with room to expand in the future.
I object to building a High School on the Bungendore Park on the basis that it has not been properly planned and has been pushed through to satisfy the needs of a local council and a local state politician.

Robyn Briggs
Robert Schwartz
Street Address Withheld Mount Fairy, 2580
6 October 2021

New High School in Bungendore
Application No SSD-14394209

The Planning Director,

We refer to the above state-significant development application
We are writing to object to the building of the new Bungendore High School on part of Mick Sherd Oval. Bungendore is a rapidly developing town and would benefit from a high school but this is not the appropriate site.
The following are some the reasons we object to the proposed plan.
Mick Sherd Oval has great historical significance for many Bungendore citizens. It holds the War Memorial. The Oval is well used especially on weekends. The school grounds will be fenced and so it will be of limited use in future by locals. There is very little open recreational or park space in Bungendore as it is. The Sports Hub will be a great addition to the town but to remove an existing well used space is a poor choice.
The swimming pool, while possibly needing refurbishment, is also well used in summer. It has been said that there will be a new pool built but no funding has been announced. Other facilities such as the community centre and library will also be lost. How long will it be before they are replaced? If the high school was sited elsewhere they could be used until replacement facilities are ready.
The site is too small. It does not allow for future expansion of the town and the surrounding districts. Not all the students will live in walking distance of the school. There are many children in neighbouring areas such as Wamboin, Mount Fairy and Tarago who could come to the school rather than travel to Queanbeyan or Goulburn. What will happen when the school is full?
Closing Majara Street will cause increased traffic congestion in nearby streets, especially near the primary school.

We have not, and no associate of ours, has made any political donation to any person in the 2 years preceding this submission.

Yours faithfully Robyn Briggs and Robert Schwartz.

JILL FOX
Street Address Withheld
Bungendore NSW 2621
7th October 2021
Director - Social and infrastructure Assessments
Planning and Assessment
Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Locked Bag 5022
PARRAMATTA NSW 2124
Dear Sir/Madam
BUNGENDORE HIGH SCHOOL PROPOSAL - OBJECTION
I object to SSDA 14394209 re the current proposal regarding the High School in Bungendore.
I do support a high school in Bungendore but not on the proposed site.
●As a life member of Bungendore Swimming Pool and one of the chief instigators and fund
raisers I object to this community pool being demolished. The proposal site of a non
guaranteed pool is being proposed on a totally unsuitable site over a very dangerous road on
which at least one pedestrian has already been killed.
●Our park, which is Crown Land, is the only protected green space in our town. We have a
very harsh climate both summer and winter and the supposed trade off of a sports hub could
not be more exposed to the elements as the wind and rain blast over the plain.
●The proposed High School site even by Education Department standards is well below the
required size on which to build a school. As a retired teacher I ask, where will the children
play?
●The Community Centre, which once again was driven by the community, will be demolished
and equivalent space for community needs will be lost. Back to the 80's we go.
●Another site was approved by the Department of Planning on a much larger and suitable site
and only changed when our local member tried to get votes in an election , the site is still
available.
Regards
Jill Fox

I am writing to provide my full support to the proposed, new high school in Bungendore. As a father of a child currently at Bungendore Primary School, I could not be happier with the idea that he would be able to continue his education with his friends in the only community he has ever called home. Bungendore is a wonderful, growing community, and the construction of a high school here is a testament to its importance as a regional centre.

I have been deeply distressed by the organized NIMBY community group's efforts to stall and derail this project. They often misrepresent themselves as the voice of the community, and they have been pervasive in spreading misinformation throughout the Bungendore community. This group has largely been composed of people who do not have school-aged children living in Bungendore, and whose interests are more aligned with opposing community development at every turn rather than wanting to engage constructively in the growth of our town.

Contrary to their positioning themselves as the so-called voice of the community, I would stress the outcomes detailed in the "Consultation Report" which show 89% of respondents strongly/agreed that the high school "will benefit the local community," and 74% strongly/agreed that "[the proposed site] is an appropriate site location." These figures stand in stark contrast to the 3% and 19% respective shares of respondents who strongly/disagreed. However, as a great many of us who are supportive of this project are parents of young children, we have not had the luxury of time to be as visible and vocal about our support as the loud, minority opposition, many of whose children have grown up and left.

One of the great complaints of the NIMBY groups has been that this process has somehow been secretive in order to bypass community opposition. Noting again the statistics above showing that, in fact, it is the NIMBYs who are in the minority, I have found the Council and NSW Government being very forthcoming with information as appropriate and regularly engaging the community about the project. The NIMBYs' complaints are rooted in their perceived loss of authority as long-term resident powerbrokers to whom all must "bend the knee" to get anything done in the community.

In keeping with their theme of not wanting anything in the town to change, the NIMBYs' single greatest complaint has been the allegation that the new high school will ruin Bungendore Park/Commons as a heritage site and deprive the community of its use. They have gone to great lengths to allege that because the Oval is Crown Land it is sacrosanct and unable to be modified in any form. I call attention to the "Statement of Heritage Impact" makes it clear that the site is of minimal archaeological value and has undergone a number of changes throughout its history. I also call attention to the consultation report which showed that, despite the "Save Our Park" movement's best efforts at misinformation and lies, 89% of respondents strongly/agreed that "that the Mick Sherd Oval will continue to be accessible to the local community."

More to the point, the NIMBYs' argument that the plan will deprive the community of use of the Oval - in violation of its dedication - is without any basis in fact, utterly meritless, and has been the most pernicious lie spread by the NIMBYs throughout this entire ordeal. The proposal's design documents from Day One have made it abundantly clear that the Oval will be preserved and that the community will continue to have access to it outside of school hours. While I note that the "Social Impact Assessment" concludes that, "[The proposal] will likely result in Mick Sherd Oval being used exclusively by the Department of Education during school hours . . . This will result in a loss of public recreation access during much of the day on weekdays," I assert that there is very little, appreciable use of the Oval by the community during these hours as it stands. I can attest to this as I live not far from the Oval and rarely, if ever, see anybody other than school children using the Oval during school hours. I support the changes made in the proposal as a result of consultations to make it even clearer that the Oval will remain a community asset outside of school hours - even if no such action was needed in the first place.

The NIMBYs have made a great deal about the loss of access to Majara Street, alleging unacceptable changes to traffic patterns and increased risks to pedestrians. Even without the "Transport Assessment," these allegations were fallacious. Majara Street, at the best of times, is sparsely traversed by either cars or pedestrians. What little traffic uses Majara Street to connect to the Kings Highway could be more than managed by Butmaroo and Ellendon Streets. I can attest to this by my regular experience walking my son to and from Bungendore Primary School and as a resident on the intersection of Ellendon and Gibraltar Streets. I call attention again to the outcome of the community consultation which showed 74% of respondents strongly/agreeing that traffic management has been taken into consideration as part of this project.

Moreover, as someone who does walk his child to and from school, and as I plan to encourage him to continue to walk to and from school, I welcome the Transport Assessment's recommendations that local roads be upgraded with shared pathways to accommodate foot traffic, and I hope they will be actioned. Again, as someone who currently lives on Ellendon St, where upgrades are proposed, I strongly believe that the social benefits of the road upgrades greatly outweigh whatever trivial noise inconveniences I may experience during construction.

The NIMBYs have made significant noise about the demolition of Bungendore Pool. While I can appreciate that many older, long-term residents may have fond memories of the Pool, it is clear to any current user that the facility is outdated and has gone beyond useful life. The NIMBYs' opposition is based on sentimental and emotional appeals rather than pragmatic considerations. As it stands, I currently take my son to Queanbeyan and Canberra for swimming because of the inadequacy of the existing facilities. The delivery of the new Sports Hub more than balances the loss of the pool, and I welcome it.

In bundling all of the above complaints, and perhaps in recognition of the fact that their sentiments are in the deep minority of the community, the NIMBYs have alleged that there are many other, more suitable sites near Bungendore for a high school than the town centre. If one of those such sites were selected, the NIMBYs allege that their complaints would be removed, and they would welcome construction of a high school. There is no merit to this argument.

The only other comparable sites other than the centre of town would be farther along the Kings Highway or Bungendore Road, major arteries with significant, high-speed and high-volume traffic. Setting aside the major road and pedestrian upgrades which would be required to even begin to make such sites suitable, I cannot fathom how construction of a high school along those arteries would be a fair exchange for closing a minor road in the middle of town. I also fail to understand how putting a high school outside of the town's current development will do anything to engender community spirit and connectedness among the town's children. And given the inescapable fact that Bungendore is a growing town, it is inevitable that a high school placed anywhere near the town will, in time, be surrounded by homes and side streets, in effect creating the same conditions that the NIMBYs allege are unsuitable for the current site - unless, I suppose, the NIMBYs put a stop to those future developments too! Moreover, I can't help but wonder how many of the NIMBYs are simply upset that the NSW Government won't be handing them a large cheque for the purchase of their property for one of these hypothetically better sites, noting that the submission process only requires that persons disclose political donations and not any other financial interests.

I'm sure there are many other, minor objections that the NIMBYs will throw up in their submissions in their desperate effort to suppress the development of Bungendore, but I believe any such arguments will have been more than adequately addressed in the documents provided as part of this exhibition. There is no doubt in my mind that the proposed site and design of the high school is adequate for the community and respects both its character and future development. I am in complete support of this project, and I look forward to enrolling my son in the high school after he has completed his time at the primary school.