Dutton Park is officially declared as the site for a new inner-city high school in Brisbane. Education Minister Grace Grace and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad made the formal announcement in a joint statement last August 2, 2018. The Education Minister made the confirmation during the Estimates hearing following an 11-week consultation with the locals.
“Just like the new high school we’re delivering in Brisbane’s inner north at Fortitude Valley, this school in the inner south will be an exciting and cutting-edge state education facility,” Ms Grace said.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad for her part was very excited and optimistic about the project. “This location is one of Australia’s most exciting urban renewal zones and we know the school will develop a reputation to rival the best schools in the country,” she said.
Dutton Park was chosen because of its proximity to the city. Accessibility to the University of Queensland and transport networks was also cited as a consideration for choosing Dutton Park.
Addressing Growing Population
For years, community groups in South Brisbane have been pushing for the establishment of a new high school to address the growing population. For the past decade, students from nearby cities have been moving to South Brisbane resulting in increasing school population. Inner-city locals hope that the construction of the new high-school would help decongest the already overcrowding schools especially the Brisbane State High School.
Dutton Park Precinct was selected from among the three proposed locations. The other two proposed locations were Davies Park and Kurilpa Point.
Read: New Dutton Park School To Help Address School Overcrowding In Inner City
Read: Proposed Site For New Inner South Gets Low Mark From Locals
Not everyone is happy with the decision though. Some criticized the lack of genuine consultations and the absence of details on the catchment and enrollment processes, among other reasons.
Councillor Jonathan Sri (The Gabba) insists that there should be two new high schools: one in West End and another in Dutton Park. He is also calling for the reduction of merit-based enrollment so that more locals students can be accommodated.
What’s Comes Next?
Ms Trad recognized the issues raised about the catchment area for the would-be-established inner-city high school and the current BSHS catchment.
Public consultations will begin after the finalisation of catchment options and enrolment processes. The proposals will be available online by the end of August and everyone is encouraged to give their feedback.
