School site backflip a huge mistake

Brighton residents Tina Moate, Scott Turnbull and Matt Fennell are fuming at the State Government’s change of mind over the whereabouts of their community’s new high school

BRIGHTON residents are concerned with the proposals to site the new Brighton High School away from the Brighton Primary School.

When the Brighton High School proposal was first announced by the State Government following negotiations with the Brighton Council, we were pleased to see the discussion surrounding the high school’s location was to be alongside the primary school.

At a presentation in the Brighton Bowls and Community Centre in July last year, we heard from specialists in urban planning design who analysed various options that could house the new high school following the election promise by the Hodgman Liberal Government.

It was encouraging to see the recommendation by the urban planners was that the new high school be located on the current school farm site, alongside the Brighton Primary School.

To us this site made good sense because as it would ensure accessibility for both parents and students at primary and secondary level.

The transition for students from the primary school to the secondary school would be easy — just across the road.

Yes, we know there are some traffic issues, but we were encouraged then, as we are now, that Brighton Council’s engineers are working on solutions to redirect traffic, install parking bays and more, to ensure these problems are resolved.

It would make drop-off and pick-up so much easier and for siblings in families it would

mean older children could walk across the road and pick up their younger brothers or sisters and meet up with carers to go home, or walk home together.

The area is ideally located so as parents we were naturally pleased.

The new high school sited near the primary school is the most cost effective, particularly with the limited budget.

And of course, we were told the new Brighton High School will serve not only Brighton, but students from our surrounding region.

So the high school itself will mean many children who currently are bussed or driven daily to schools in Glenorchy or even further can be educated much closer to home.

This is so much better for our students and also better for families like ours.

It adds to the wellbeing of our community.

However, it has now become apparent that the Government is shying away from the preferred farm school site, even though Brighton Council says it has land options for the farm to be sited closer to the rural community.

To us this is unbelievable, and simply does not make sense.

Why have a farm in the middle of a town when we are both an urban and rural municipality?

Surely our children attending the farm school should be educated in an agricultural setting with farmers who can provide valuable support for their educational outcomes?

Added to that are the benefits of growing the farm, therefore expanding the options for students who want to make agriculture and animal husbandry their careers.

No one is saying the school farm should be closed.

Rumours to that effect are nonsense and scaremongering.

We are saying the school farm should be moved into a true rural setting where it can prosper and grow for the benefit of our children.

However, now we have been advised the farm school will stay where it is and we have three other options to consider — Seymour Street Park, the corner of Elderslie and Brighton Roads and Pontville Park.

This is incredibly disappointing and if any of these options are chosen, it will have major impacts on our community.

Indeed, the Seymour St park site if adopted will mean the end of the highly successful Brighton Storm Soccer Club.

Up to 200 children are registered and we have under sixes to men’s sides.

We were not told this was a possible site and to hear it is in contention is incredibly worrying.

We are supposed to be encouraging our children to take part in healthy activities yet a soccer club that has been in our community for as long as we can remember is now facing closure.

The greyhound racing track will also be impacted and no doubt that association will have something to say if this site is regarded as the chosen site for the high school.

Similarly, the Pontville Park hosts cricket and football and other sports.

The Federal Government has more than $8 million to improve these playing facilities even further.

If this site is chosen, we will be wiping out a significant area that is being used by our children. Even teams from outside our municipality including the Tasmanian Tigers and Hobart Hurricanes cricket teams use this as their pre-season training.

What is to happen to these teams’ training options?

As for the Elderslie Road site, which we understand is already earmarked for residential development, we are told the purchase and service infrastructure cost are estimated at $10 million.

Who will be paying for this, the taxpayer?

And will this money be taken out of the Government’s $30 million budget for the

No one is saying the school farm should be closed. Rumours to that effect are nonsense and scaremongering.

high school?

We urge the Minister for Education Jeremy Rockliff to come to our community and talk about his Government’s decision so he can fully understand what his approach will mean for our community.

There are consultations with the Education Department in Brighton next week. If the Minister attends he will hear directly how the community feels about the three sites recommended by his bureaucrats. This is an important opportunity for our municipality. We hope the right decision is made, and that is to put the new high school on the current school farm site and to move the school farm to a better location.

Tina Moate of Broadmarsh is president of Brighton Storm soccer club. Her two eldest daughters are soccer coaches at the club and her two younger children play at the club. Scott Turnbull of Pontville is a husband and father of two children at Brighton Primary School and a business owner. Matt Fennell of Brighton is an IT manager with a daughter in kindergarten. He is hoping the high school will be built by the time she is in year 7.