4 May 2016

I welcome much-needed action to provide inner city high school places.

There has been a strong community campaign to get investment in new schools to meet massive growth in demand. This announcement vindicates the advocates who have been working to get government action.

Media reports show how vital new schools are for inner Sydney – more families with children are moving into the inner city and their kids need school places. Current schools are full or filling fast and we urgently need new schools.

I understand that the department will move the Intensive English High School to the Mitchell Road campus of Alexandria Park Community School, build a 1,200 student high school at Cleveland Street to open in 2020, and then expand the Alexandria Park K-12 school.

The community will want to be involved with the design and to protect heritage buildings and prevent amenity impacts. We’ll all be looking for well-designed, cutting edge facilities that meet the highest sustainability standards. There will be pressure to have the new facility built to open in time.

I’ll be working with the government to get the best outcomes for students and community.