Media Release, 12 June 2015

Alex Greenwich Member for Sydney joins Ultimo and Pyrmont communities and parents to condemn the government for breaking its promise and withdrawing from the agreed Wattle Street site for a new primary school for 1,000 students.

“The government appears to be returning to a previous proposal of a smaller school for only 600 to 700 students on the existing site because it claims remediation of the old depot is too expensive.

“The government knew from the beginning that the site was contaminated hence the City of Sydney heavily discounted the price and reached an agreement with the department,” Mr Greenwich said.

“This recent renege is nothing more than a cost saving measure at the expense of vital inner city services and infrastructure.

“Development over the past 15 years has made this area the most densely populated part of Australia and the current school is already full. Massive development planned at the Bays Precinct, Darling Harbour and potentially the Powerhouse Museum site will bring even more families to the area and massive stamp duty revenue.

“The government must take education seriously and get on with building an urgently-needed new school that will cater for existing and future demand and this should not depend on private development of the site,” Mr Greenwich said.

"We call on the minister to take responsibility and fulfil the promise for a new larger school,” Mr Greenwich concluded.