Bungendore High School will open in demountable buildings in 2023 after the NSW government revealed a new design for the controversial project.
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The new design will address some of the concerns of residents, including more car parking, smaller buildings and changes to the types and mixture of materials to fit in with the heritage streetscape.
It also moves the community centre, public library and Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council shopfront out of the school grounds to a new council community hub.
NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said she was pleased to see updated plans for the project following consultation with the community and stakeholders.
"I appreciate the community's understanding as we work to deliver this project, particularly the challenges and delays resulting from Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council's political positioning in relation to it," Ms Mitchell said.
"Given the situation, we are working to provide a temporary, pop-up school for the start of 2023 to ensure students of the new high school can come together and start to establish their school culture."
Members of the previous council were in favour of the location of the new school adjacent to Bungendore Park but after the 2021 election, the councillors were not supportive of the site.
The NSW government completed a compulsory acquisition of the land in April, which included buildings currently used by the council.
A council spokesman said any delays were due to the complex nature of the project and the time it takes for State Significant Developments to be approved. He said the council was pleased that concerns raised by the community had been considered in the revised plans.
The new design will visually maintain the original town street grid along Majara Street, between Gibraltar Street and Turallo Terrace.
There will be more parking along Turallo Terrace and the scout shed will be expanded. The sports courts will be within the school site instead of on Bungendore Park, and the only work on the park will be a new footpath and a relocated light post.
The first cohort of year 7 and 8 students will be in temporary buildings for the start of the 2023 school year.
Sarah Lansdown
Sarah covers all stages of education in the capital, from early childhood to higher education. Previously she was a general news reporter at The Advocate in North West Tasmania. She was named Best New Journalist at the 2019 Tasmanian Media Awards for a series on paramedic shortages. Email: sarah.lansdown@canberratimes.com.au
Sarah covers all stages of education in the capital, from early childhood to higher education. Previously she was a general news reporter at The Advocate in North West Tasmania. She was named Best New Journalist at the 2019 Tasmanian Media Awards for a series on paramedic shortages. Email: sarah.lansdown@canberratimes.com.au
