Former School and Preschool Sites
The Government has announced that it will dispose of five sites. The community consultations will assist in developing recommendations about which of the remaining ten sites are suitable for disposal and which could be retained.
Sites for Retention/Release
The future use of the following ten former school sites has not yet been decided:
- Cook Preschool and Primary
- (Former) Downer Primary
- Flynn Primary
- Hall Primary
- Holt Preschool and Primary
- Melrose (Chifley) Primary
- (Former) North Curtin Primary
- Tharwa Primary
- Village Creek (Kambah) Preschool and Primary
- Weston Creek Primary.
Following the completion of the first round of local consultations and analysis of technical information, the options have been reviewed and with the exception of Hall and Tharwa sites, two options for the future use have been developed for each site. In the case of the Hall and Tharwa sites there is only one option for the future use being put forward for further comment by the local communities.
Information for each site is available on the webpage for and is summarised in the following table.
| Former Site | Shortlisted Options | Potential Future Land Use |
|---|---|---|
| Belconnen | ||
| Cook | 1A | Retain existing tenants, buildings and grounds for community use hub (possibly performing arts) |
| 3A | Subdivide site; construct new facility as community hub (possibly performing arts) and retain pre-school buildings for community use; develop balance of site for retirement living OR medium density housing | |
| Flynn | 1A | Retain school buildings and grounds for community use hub (possibly human services and/or well-being) |
| 3A | Subdivide site; construct new facility as community hub; develop balance of site for retirement living OR residential uses | |
| Holt | 1A | Retain school buildings and grounds for community use hub (possibly human services and/or well-being) |
| 3A | Subdivide site; retain existing buildings and some grounds for community facility ; develop balance of site for retirement living OR residential uses | |
| North Canberra | ||
| Downer | modified 4 (new 5) | Subdivide site; create new local centre (3 storeys) with residential above shop and offices at ground level; develop balance of site for retirement living with mandatory community space (possibly visual arts); construct new public road with entry/exit to Melba Street |
| modified 4 (new 6) | Subdivide site; create new local centre (3 storeys) with residential above shop and offices at ground level; create separate community facility site; develop balance of site for medium density housing; construct new public roads with entry/exit to Melba Street | |
| Woden/Weston Creek | ||
| Melrose | 1A | Retain existing tenants, buildings and grounds for community use hub (possibly human services) |
| 3A | Retirement living OR residential uses assuming new community centre adjacent to local shops (off-site) | |
| North Curtin | 1A | Retain existing tenants, buildings and grounds for community use hub (possibly human services and arts) |
| 3A | Subdivide site; create lease for community uses; balance of site for retirement living or medium density residential uses; new public road off Curruthers St to improve traffic flow; retain mature vegetation around site perimeter | |
| Weston | 1A | Retain existing tenants, buildings and grounds for community uses hub (possibly environmental) |
| 3A | Retirement living OR residential uses assuming new community centre adjacent to local shops (off-site) | |
| Tuggeranong | ||
| Village Creek | 1A | Retain school buildings and grounds for community uses (possibly business incubator) |
| 3A | Subdivide site; use buildings and part of grounds for community uses including possible business Incubator ; develop retirement living OR residential uses on balance of site | |
| Rural | ||
| Hall | 1A | Retain school buildings and grounds for community uses hub (possibly arts and human services and/or well-being) |
| Tharwa | 1A | Retain school buildings and grounds for community uses hub (possibly environmental and/or arts) |
Sites for Release
The Government has announced it will release five former schools and preschool sites:
- Giralang Preschool
- Macarthur Preschool
- McKellar Preschool
- Mount Neighbour (Kambah) Primary
- Rivett Primary.
The sites are to be released with their existing ‘community’ land use policy (which includes childcare, health centres or community facilities).
The buildings of the two primary schools are in poor condition and cannot be retained for community use. The three preschool sites are small and suitable for uses under the existing land use policy in the Territory Plan.
The following schools are not included in this project as the Government has deferred its decision on what to do with them:
- Higgins Preschool
- Higgins Primary School
- Isabella Plains Preschool
- Page Preschool.
In addition, the Causeway and Rivett Preschool sites have already been allocated for other community uses, while the Kambah High site was retained by the Department of Education and Training and will be redeveloped into a new P-10 School to open in 2011.