New auditorium and grandstand approved
Council gives green light to St Mary’s plan
A TOOWOOMBA school’s plan to build a massive new auditorium, gym and grandstand has been approved by the council.
St Mary’s College can now go ahead with its proposal to add the extension to the school, which includes an assembly hall facility to seat 1350 people, as well as an addition to the sports ground for a loading bay, change room facilities, a student gym and storage areas.
The new facility, which creates more than 3100sq m of gross floor area at the school, will be the expense of an older building and a student car park area.
Senior TRC planner Lachlan O’Sullivan said the proposal complied with the planning scheme.
“The proposed development involves the removal of an existing house, 28 existing car parks, an existing grandstand, existing vegetation and existing cricket nets,” he wrote in his report.
“There are no relevant overlays or planning scheme requirements limiting the removal of these site features.
“Following a detailed assessment of the proposed development, it is considered that the proposed extension to the educational establishment complies with all the relevant planning scheme provisions and is recommended for approval subject to relevant and reasonable conditions.”
St Mary’s were handed nearly 90 conditions to comply with before, during and after construction, relating to stormwater, outdoor lighting, acoustic amenity, parking requirements and wastewater infrastructure.
Principal Michael Newman said the additions would be built using “significant capital investment” raised by the school and through financing.
“The last few years we have been planning for it as part of our master plan with our future planning committee and now it’s becoming a reality,” he told The Chronicle in June when the plans were presented.
“I see it as a really viable space, particularly in that the plan B of this project also will be music, art and drama.”