New High School in Bungendore

I object to the amended DA.
Mick Sherd Oval is situated on ‘Bungendore Park’ which is Crown Land dedicated for the purpose of Public Recreation and managed by Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council.
Bungendore Park, and therefore Mick Sherd Oval, is not available for the use of the proposed Bungendore High School because of legislation put in place to protect NSW Crown Land assets.
If the Department of Education had engaged in undertaking due diligence, before they announced the Majara/Gibraltar Street Precinct for the proposed High School, they would have been aware of the limitations for building in this area.
How can a school function without an oval or adequate play space?
In the lodged amended DA, DoE have excluded all Crown Land including Mick Sherd Oval, which is completely at odds with the below statements.
The author of the SIA writes:
• Communicate clearly about the use of Mick Sherd Oval after school hours to ensure community members feel comfortable to use the oval. This may include design measures, such as the provision of signage around the oval, and communication measures, such as advertisements in the local newspaper or a community event when the school opens.
• Once operational, consider restricting school use of Mick Sherd Oval to certain days or time periods within the school week. While Council apply a flat hire rate, this would provide more certainty to the local community around times/days during the week that the oval won’t be used by the school and could be accessed by the public.

The Department of Education appears to be assuming that they will have use of Mick Sherd Oval during school hours if they get the amended DA approved.

It remains the case that the placement and design of the new Bungendore High School does not sit well in the Bungendore village context, it is not the right location for the project, it is the politically expedient location.
Changes to the design do not mitigate the confronting juxtaposition of the new buildings and surrounding historical buildings - the station master's cottage for one - as the overall design remains one of an inner-city building, certainly not sympathetic to the historical country town.
The failure to address the traffic vs pedestrian confrontations that occur on Turallo Terrace as a consequence of blind spots and a lack of a safe pedestrian set-down area near the existing pre-school remains a concern - despite being a safe driver I have personally had several close calls due to the fencing that has been marking out the agricultural plot, it is preventing unobstructed views for two-way vehicle traffic around the adjacent bend on what is a narrow causeway; the necessity of such a large agricultural plot (on Community Common ground) for a high school that is resident in an agricultural region (i.e. not a city suburb) remains obnoxious and there is a likelihood of it becoming neglected and unsafe for pedestrians unassociated with the High School.
In the new renderings there are indications of QPRC facilities inside the project - this is interesting as the QPRC is currently negotiating to change the status of a block of land on the corner of Gibraltar and Ellendon Streets to house the same facilities. There is also a suggestion of an external digital screen within the high school precinct, what for!? We live in a country town, and the addition of any unnecessary light pollution should be reconsidered. The fencing plans remain underdone, and do not contribute to the character of the village that is one of open areas for community access.
The new plans for the project if lifted and placed in another location outside of the heritage centre of the village of Bungendore may well work, but the design of this project as it is currently presented remains inappropriate for the current location, and the overall project remains ill-placed.
I agree there is a need for a High School facility for this part of the Queanbeyan Palerang Council Region, but I continue to object to this specific project and its placement as it remains one that is dripping in political expediency, not one of community consideration and that means it is a truly ugly project. It is also the case that the community of Bungendore has had to put up with inconvenience given the site fencing has remained in place the entire time this 're-consultation' has been underway - will I receive financial compensation on my Rates bill because I have not been able to use the community space in my local community?

I object to the amended DA and ask that the Department of Education be required to lodge a new DA.
How can the community confidently understand the ramifications of this DA in its current state? The Land and Environment Court set aside the December 2021 DA approval and now the community is expected to understand what has happened between than and the amended DA which was lodged in June 2024.
The amended DA is remarkably very different from the original DA and surely the Department of Education should be required to lodge a new DA reflecting what they are proposing for the Bungendore High School on the Majara/Gibraltar Street Site.
The amended DA has removed the Gym/Hall, community facilities and the Ag Plot building. The Dept does not have permission to use Mick Sherd Oval for educational purposes and does not have council permission for on street parking. The Department has not included the requested audit report on contamination. The site is too small and has totally inadequate play space for the students. This is detail that is evident but unless you are able to compare all previous 2021 reports with current 2024 reports, how does the community really know what is being accessed?

This fiasco has to stop. To continue to support this brain-fart by Barilaro has gone on far too long, and has cost far too much. We are now expected to accept a smaller high school, which, on the basis of feed-in data, will be nowhere near big enough for future growth. To now get around the Crown Land issue (which should have been addressed before planning was even sought!) not only has overall capacity decreased, but the originally proposed gym, school hall and agricultural plot are GONE!!! So we have an option now to accept, as a replacement for a substantially under capacity school, a smaller, less well-equipped option, in the wrong location!! We, the residents, are being treated like kids. Lies, mistruths, lack of data and information, nil transparency from DoE. The whole thing reeks of incompetence at best, and downright arrogance and ignorance at worst. Go back to the start, examine optional locations with full public consultation, and design and build us a school that will meet requirements now, and into the future. And in the mean time, remove the ugly unnecessary fencing that divides our beautiful town. It won’t be required for years, even if this poor option is adopted. It is an insult, and apart from serving any useful purpose, it provides a constant reminder of the contempt with which we are viewed by DoE.

I’m a local father of two primary school kids. My eldest will go to the temporary Bungendore High School next year.
I support the proposal to build the Bungendore High School on the Majara St site. However, I’m concerned that some facilities and infrastructure were not included in the current DA. Can the DoE assure parents and students that these essential facilities (hall/gym, canteen and agriculture plot) and infrastructure (paths, lights) will also be provided? It would be unacceptable if students were left without a hall and canteen for an indefinite period – or not at all!

I am a local parent of two kids, with one starting at the temporary Bungendore High School next year. I'm incredibly disappointed that she will not be starting her secondary education in the permanent school which was promised to open term 1, 2023.

I support the proposal to build the Bungendore High School on the Majara St site. However, I have some concerns that I'd like clarity on.

• The current temporary high school will reach capacity by 2026. The DoE needs to advise families the date when the permanent high school will open. If Term 1, 2026 is not achievable, then the DoE needs to advise strategies for how they will accommodate the 2026 cohort.

• It is my understanding that the DoE has done due diligence in its site selection. Given this, why was it announced by our local member, that alternative site options are being considered? Commencing with a new site would cost considerably more and add to time delays. The current site is appropriate from both economic and social considerations.

• The amended DA removes the agricultural plot and school hall (including the gym and canteen) because they are on Crown land. While the DoE has said that these facilities “will be proposed in future as part of alternative planning pathways” what assurances can the department make to ensure that these facilities will be provided? It would be extremely disappointing if students were left without a hall, gym, or canteen for an indefinite period.

• The location of the hall (which includes the gym and canteen) is on the site of Bungendore Swimming Pool, which is on crown land. The DoE has agreed to keep the pool open until the new Bungendore sports hub aquatic facility is built. Will this decision cause a delay in seeking approval for the use of this crown land? What happens if/when the new pool at the Sports Hub is delayed? Would that delay building the school hall? It seems ridiculous to me that the council and DoE would prioritise keeping a derelict pool that is barely used and only open for a few months of the year, over building a school hall that would benefit hundreds of high school students and the community.

Lastly, I would like to reiterate that this project has already been significantly delayed and I urge the government to proceed with the new SSDA so that building can commence.
I also urge that appropriate permissions be urgently obtained to build on Crown land so that the essential high school facilities (hall, gym, canteen and agriculture plot) and other important infrastructure (lights and paths) that are not included in this DA can be provided for students when the permanent high school is built.

The revised plans from the Department of Education (DoE) are much smaller than the original proposal. The gross floor area and total open space have been significantly reduced, but the estimated capacity of 450 students and 41 teachers hasn’t changed.
The DoE’s own guidelines state the minimum standard required is 4ha. The proposed site is a total of 2.5ha.
To try and get this new DA through, they’ve stripped out the school hall. No hall, no gym. The new DA clearly states ‘the amended proposal does not include any proposed shared use agreement over Mick Sherd Oval’. So the school won’t have an oval either. Our children deserve better. Googong got a 9ha greenfield site for its new school. We should get the same.
The DoE has split the DA in 2. I suspect they think they can avoid Crown Land law by doing this. This is not the case. The DoE may think it can just book the oval through our local council, but they can’t do that. It would be illegal. There will be no regular access to the oval, because that would contravene existing Crown Land law. The Minister for Crown Land refused consent to this development because it would breach Crown land law.
The compensation payable to our council for compulsory acquisition of Crown land is still being argued over in Court. If they do get compensation, they can’t spend it on replacement facilities in Bungendore, as these aren’t on Crown Land. We need to know how the NSW government (at a state level) or the DoE will fund the replacement community facilities.
This new DA removes access to the ag plot, as well as toilets and storage facilities from the ag plot. So where will our children go for a toilet break? How will any agricultural equipment be brought onto the site? This is an absolute farce.
The proposed outdoor play areas in the new DA only meet current minimum standards because the DoE has included thoroughfares and pathways as ‘play spaces’. This is a joke. I don’t want any children only being allowed to run and play ball games in the main school thoroughfares. When the school expands rapidly, as it must, what little open space there is will be swallowed up.
We still don’t know what’s happening in the long term with our community-funded pool. We need to know how this will be affected in the long term, when the DoE presumably lodges a second DA for our park.
Our council never approved closing Majara Street, and it’s a complete traffic and parking nightmare around the railway station and the primary school. If the high school is built on the proposed site, it will only get worse.
The traffic studies the DoE is relying on are almost 4 years old. They pre-date the closure of Majara Street or the opening of the temporary school. They should as a minimum have to do a new traffic study to reflect the current situation.
Bungendore Preschool is proposing major expansion, just across the road from the high school. The DA doesn’t consider this at all. There will be no guarantee of safe vehicle and pedestrian access to the preschool, with the mix of very young children attending the preschool, and young and inexperienced drivers attending the proposed high school. This is an accident waiting to happen.
There is no real space for the amount of parking we’ll need for the pre-school, primary school and high school all in the one area. The proposed small number of spaces available on and around the tiny school site won’t enough.
The transport assessment states that 342 Year 6 students currently attend NSW public schools and live within the Bungendore High School catchment area. All these kids are zoned to Bungendore High School next year. This suggests a likely student cohort at the proposed school which dramatically exceeds capacity and traffic estimates for this very small site.
The Transport Assessment shows that the majority of kids will travel from outside Bungendore. It makes completely unrealistic assumptions about car-pooling and bus travel, using densely-populated areas around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong as the base for its assumptions. It bases its assumptions on aspirational targets, rather than reality.
The Department of Planning and Environment asked the DoE to provide proper catchment data in the ‘Key Issues List’ in October 2022. The DoE didn’t provide this data. This makes me wonder what else they’re hiding, as there’s no valid reason to conceal such basic information.
There’s not just lead contamination around the high school site, but asbestos was also recently found. I’d like to know why the DoE thinks it’s okay to expose our children to this.
The park, the Common, the pool and the community centre are all significant to the shared history of our community. The heritage assessment lodged as part of the DA got the history of our common wrong. They clearly didn’t bother to read the statement of significance to understand why it was heritage listed.
The War Memorial is also very significant to our local culture and heritage. That’s why it’s heritage listed under the Palerang Local Environmental Plan. This listing covers the whole of our park.
And the most galling issue of all is that the DoE has stated that this site, even after further expansion within the 2.5ha, can only accommodate projected demand through to 2036. The proposed school would only be open for a maximum of 10 years before they’ll have to either relocate or restrict enrolments. This isn’t a long-term investment, it’s a short-term knee-jerk reaction to being told this site isn’t suitable. There are other green field sites within 2km of the primary school which are well suited to building a new high school with room for a school hall, oval and ag plot - with room to expand.

The new high School in Bungendore is not practical to be located as is in the current planning area. The population growth and numbers of students when projected for future years would not meet the need of residents living within the Bungendore area.
Taking over the daily use of the oval away from our current residents and the junior members of the community during the majority of each day is wrong.
There are better site facilities which would allow for future growth of a high school to accommodate more students as the population continues to expand.
The community’s concerns and views are not effectively taken into account.
The closure of the road in front of what used to be the council chambers is ridiculous and a complete waste of public funds when work has not been agreed through the necessary planning processes.
The high school does not need to be located so close to the junior school, taking over both areas that ought to be available to junior school students, and not accommodating the senior school numbers.
Consideration ought to be seriously taken to locate the high school on another site that was offered by other community members.

I am, and continue to support the proposed location of the school. I believe this location:

Creates a central education hub children and the township can be proud of
Contributes to the township keeping local children engaged with the businesses, services and amenities located in the village.
Allows children to safely walk and bike to school
Staged approach will help ensure children are able to begin their education. In the new site sooner.

I look forward to my children starting their education in this new modern school in the heart of Bungendore.

The amendments to the New Bungendore High School proposed development allowing the retention of the local resident funded swimming pool but with the loss of block D to retain this facility, show that the development should be situated at a site that imposes no impact or loss to both the school students and the community.

The delay in providing appropriate infrastructure such as a hall/gym and canteen is not acceptable, and a new site should be considered to accommodate these facilities.

Other losses imposed on the community because of this development have been significant:

• many long-standing community organisations and facilities have been disrupted
• safety concerns remain with the proximity of the railway and traffic congestion already evident with three schools situated in the immediate area
• loss of green space surrounding the park/recreational facilities
• desecration of our historical park surrounds.

This site is not fit for purpose and needs to be kept for future generations to enjoy.

I strongly object to the proposed site of the BHS. From the beginning the whole process has been flawed and done in an underhanded process and an insult to the community of Bungendore. The site is too small and if built leaves no green open space in the township for the community and travellers to access. There is no room for expansion and blind Freddy can see there is no room for expansion to cater for the students from the region. It’s like putting a square peg in a round hole. It just doesn’t fit. So many negatives in building the school in the current location which have been put forward by the community but you continue to ignore; how does a school function without an oval, let alone no gym. No consideration for student health and wellbeing (obesity/inactivity major in our society and getting worse). Building near contaminated land at the railway station. Parking/traffic issues - where to park, in the future where will Y12 students park, along with the increased numbers of teachers and support staff. The closure of roads just to find that extra bit of space for a school not fit for purpose. No proper traffic studies done. There are many other issues I haven’t addressed but all I can say is that Bungendore deserves better. The DoE and other parties involved in this shambles should be looking at the other SUITABLE sites originally put forward that where deemed suitable. Imagine as you drive into Bungendore you see a beautiful purpose built school with appropriate sporting ovals, perhaps even a agricultural component adjacent to the school, appropriate landscaping for the school. With the right planning/location of the school ovals and appropriate facilities (change rooms/toilets/kitchen catering facilities, parking) the school could host major inter school sporting and cultural events. This couldn’t happen in the location currently planned. Its not too late for this disaster to be rectified

This location appears to be the most suitable for school children, this needs to be completed as soon as possible! I have 2 children whom will be starting high school in 2026 and prefer them not to travel to attend high school.

I object to the Planned High School in Bungendore to be sited on the Crown land dedicated for the community use.
In sufficient planning and real consultation did not occur with residents closely affected by a sub standard traffic management plan.
The DOE has not considered other projects and the approved DA Child care centre for 135 children located within 400 metres of the proposed site, this the will impact the traffic expected.
The School does not have any room to grow after it fills up to year 12.
The proposed 2 story building will affect the feel and amenity of the town.
The School will affect my ability to use the park common areas in the school hours is a loss to my
personal well being.
The department has not carried out its due diligence and should be proposing an alternative site and ensure the decision is a political with a clear and transparent decision making process.
The school project does not allocate sufficient car parking for students and will rely on street parking affecting residents near by.
Bungendore has sufficient greenfield land to build a well designed and planned for our children for now and into the future.

I object to the current proposed project at the current site as outlined in my previous submission in October 2021. In addition to those still very valid points I am now aware of further problems due to the dog’s breakfast in Majara Street. Since QPRC has vacated their built-for-purpose offices in Majara Street and shoe horned themselves into Gibraltar Street it is usually impossible to get a parking space in that street despite their expensive car park to the rear of their de mountable offices. The situation is evolving into what was predicted all along: parking gridlock even without the high school. If it is built in Majara Street the traffic situation will be diabolical. The streets laid down in the horse era mid 1800s were never meant to accept the chaotic traffic that will ensue at the proposed site. Please reconsider this massively wrong headed mess.

I object to the location chosen for the Bungendore high school. The proposal has been ill thought out and has become even more undesirable than the first proposed plan due to the smaller space that the school would now occupy. Returning to the townspeople with a new design that is substantially smaller in size and thus lacking in facilities because they will no longer be taking over the crown land areas and swimming pool is insulting and embarrassing.
In trying to fit the school into this location many facilities are being taken away and there is no room for any future development and expansion. Our town and its kids deserve better than a school without a gym/auditorium and no substantial break away spaces. Trying to build a new school in the centre of the town is absurd and wrapping the school around the existing oval, playground and pool is a joke.
It also cannot be passed over that the site is right next to the railway corridor which is contaminated with lead. A good portion of that same area has been cordoned off with temporary fencing for two years to keep people off contaminated land and yet our council is proposing that we should interfere with this soil and have children spend the majority of the day there.
The council and the NSW government need to explore a new site for the school instead of trying to fit this design into a place that doesn't work in a hasty attempt to fulfil an election promise. Our council and representatives need to serve the people of Bungendore and not their own image.

To whom it may concern


Bungendore needs a High School that is positioned where it can be a sustainable educational asset for its students and the community.

The current High School:
• Has depleted the primary school’s playing area and ambience
• Taken no account of the pre-school’s planned expansion just across the road from the High School
• Offers cramped High School facilities requiring high cost cooling and heating, where it could have chosen a site allowing for solar panels and evidence that the DoE takes climate action seriously
• Taken away the community’s asset of the oval and later will take the community’s accessible swimming pool asset
• Taken no account of the real parking and transport route needs required for a High School. They are inadequate now – let alone for future years.

There is so much more that can be listed. It is hard to have confidence that anyone is listening.

It takes courage to admit the initial decision to establish the school where it is now, was wrong. It will take even more energy and money when the inevitability of this wrong choice becomes so obvious that a further series of new and expensive choices will need to be made to repair the original bad choice.

Bungendore used to have a central hub area around the oval that was available for community activities. Closing it up to buildings that will never adequately service their educational purposes, yet will destroy the collective asset of the town – the village green area that early pioneers saw being necessary for future generations - will only serve the DoE’s destructive and no good purpose in going ahead with this unsustainable project.

Carol Thornton

To whom it may concern,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed high school development in Bungendore.
My objection rests on the revised proposal’s failure to deal with previous objections and projections around traffic flows, future high school needs and impact on social amenity. Here I also refer to the traffic modelling based on much larger towns, and the closing of Majara Street.
Calculations concerning the eventual size of the school makes the selected site redundant before building has even commenced.
In continuing with the selected site, the Education Department demonstrates complete indifference to town heritage and the current usages made of the area, including the dog reserve.
Yours sincerely
Geoff Langford

The proposed highschool is in the wrong location for all the reasons that have been stated many times before.ie. no room for expansion. encroachement onto Bungendore oval. school will be too small from start. school footprint is only 2.5 hectares when the dept. of ed. itself stipulates min. 4.5 hectares. lead contamination of rail corridor on proposed boundary of school. unnecessary closure of majara st. destruction of turallo tce heritage area.huge increase of traffic near preschool. loss of community access to oval.etc etc. Everything about this proposal is deeply flawed and would result in second rate education facilities.

The current proposed site was rejected previously as too small. A site was selected and approved on the edge of town. Then a political decision driven by non educational or planning reality was selected. The site was way too small and closed the major North South traffic route in town.The site has got even smaller. How can you build a school wthout several ovals and onsite parking!!! The traffic study for Park site of the school and closure of a road can be demonstratably shown to be corrupt. With the Primary School (growing) there is no room in the High School design for a heliport to get students into the school. Enrollment already exceeds capacity, with no prospect of expansion or even meeting current infrastructure requirements. Lead poisionong exists in the proximity of the school. Multiple greenfield sites exist. Far cheaper options and the kids can have space for necessay exercise.

As a community member of Bungendore for over 12 years, I have seen the town expand in a positive way which ultimately makes the town more attractive with infrastructure that benefits the community in many ways. One thing that I really appreciate about our beautiful town is that it’s an incredible place for families with children to grow up as they have everything at their door step. As a parent of four young girls (10,8, 4 and 2) I am 100% behind the new High School and the chosen location. All my girls will overtime progress through Bungendore Primary School and on to High School at various stages. When the location was identified I was relieved, not for myself but for my children, knowing that my eldest (when her time comes) could walk with her younger sisters to school given the school hub concept. I felt that it was a completely safe location for my girls to commute together without the worry of them having to navigate across busy roads, and to encourage some independence, as well as the social and emotional benefits especially in their transition for one school to the other which would give them a greater sense of community belonging. Whilst I understand some complexities around the use of the oval for school and the community, being a parent I’m aware that primary school children currently use the oval on many occasions daily, and that I’m hopeful that the community and QPRC can see the benefits for high school students using this asset which in my view is severely underused during school hours.

I believe the location of the school will add many benefits to the community, create a fantastic educational hub for all children and a new community hub for shared sporting arrangements between the public, children and other community events that may take place. As a member of the community I genuinely believe that both schools and the general public can share all assets in this area equally.

I’m also aware of concerns regarding lead contamination, and I note that the attachments to the planning application highlight appropriate mitigation for locations where the school is being built.

As such, I fully support the project and have nil concern with amended application.