By Matthew Sims
Environmentalists say a proposed school expansion would endanger drivers and pedestrians in the Narre Warren North Green Wedge.
Harkaway Hills College has proposed to double its student intake at 420-432 Belgrave-Hallam Road by increasing from Prep-Year 8 to an early learning centre to Year 12.
PARED Victoria launched the school in 2016 with Foundation and Grade 1 in its first year, with only 16 students,
The application on the six-hectare property within a Green Wedge A Zone (GWZA) detailed the school projected it would increase student numbers from 220 to 471 and the number of staff to 46 by 2032, with funding support from the State Government.
Buildings and works would include the construction of classrooms, approval for signage at Belgrave-Hallam Road and minor slip road widening at the intersection of A’Beckett Road and Belgrave-Hallam Road resulting in the removal of native vegetation.
It could also include signalisation at the intersection of A’Beckett Road and Belgrave-Hallam Road “as and if required” to mitigate the impacts upon traffic flow and amenity.
Green Wedges Coalition members Karen Cavanagh and Kate Rousseaux have requested any expansion development should explicitly outline traffic and sewage management actions.
Ms Cavanagh said the proposed extension was too big for the size of the site and they needed exact details about when expansion on Green Wedge land would stop.
“The Southern Ranges Green Wedge is under threat by incremental urban creep,“ she said.
“We say schools and other urban uses should be prohibited in the Green Wedges.
“Schools should be in the urban areas, where the students live.“
Ms Rousseaux said if the Belgrave-Hallam Road application was approved, the Department of Transport and Planning should be required to do a thorough independent analysis and ensure signalisation was a requirement for this application.
“The school should be required to pay for signalisation, including both traffic lights to control the movements of the intersection, and warning lights on either side of the intersection along Belgrave-Hallam Road,“ she said.
“The proposal will have a profound impact to Narre Warren North Primary School as access to both schools face each other.
“An increase of traffic volume will add congestion and put primary school students at a greater risk of a serious injury, accidents or loss of a life.“
Ms Rousseaux said Belgrave-Hallam Road was a busy major arterial road for a large number of vehicles.
“Experts have quoted that the road carries approximately 21,000 vehicles a daily, including heavy vehicles and many B-double trucks,“ she said.
“It is difficult to turn right into Belgrave-Hallam Road from A’Beckett Road, and traffic currently banks along A’Beckett Road at extreme levels, especially in the mornings.“
Narre Warren North Primary School principal Connie Vandervoort said they had sought clarity around traffic management.
“The Narre Warren North Primary School council are not concerned about the school but would like more information around the traffic management,“ she said.
“We have put our concerns in writing to the City of Casey.“
The application for an expansion followed on from an application from Harkaway Hills College’s sister school Lysterfield Lake College to develop land for a faith-based boys school of 239 students and 22 staff in grazing land on Horswood Road in Narre Warren North in the Casey Foothills, which the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal and Casey Council both rejected last year.
In a statement released last October, Lysterfield Lake College said they were considering the decision and would investigate what options were available.
According to Harkaway Hills College’s application, Lysterfield Lake College was preparing a further permit application to Planning Minister for the use of 19-32 Horswood Road at Narre Warren North for use as a school.
EPA wastewater calculations required schools with a multipurpose gym with shower facilities to allow for the treatment of 50 litres of wastewater per student.
Ms Cavanagh said the Green Wedge Coalition believed the school should pay for linking to the town’s mains sewerage system.
“Wastewater dispersal fields cannot be near play areas or near to other uses for obvious reasons and increasing the amount of wastewater represents an environmental risk as the current effluent field is at the rear of the school, on a downward slope, near to a dam, that overflows directly into the upper south branch of Eumemmerring Creek,“ she said.
Green Wedges Coalition co-ordinator Rosemary West said the application represented the problems with allowing non-government schools to be allowed on Green Wedge land and without approval by the relevant council.
“Community groups are really outgunned,“ she said.
Ms West said they would be meeting with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny on Thursday 15 June to advocate more action in regards to the State Government’s Planning for Melbourne’s Green Wedges and Agricultural Land project.
Harkaway Hills College refused to comment on the application, due to it being before the Planning Minister.
To make a submission to the planning application, visit www.planning.vic.gov.au/permits-and-applications/ministerial-permits/browse-ministerial-permits?query=PA2201883 or email development.approvals@delwp.vic.gov.au
