A petition containing hundreds of signatures in support of a new high school for the inner-west will go to State Parliament this month.
Community group SKY High has stepped up its decade-long campaign ahead of November’s state election and presented its petition to Footscray MP Marsha Thomson and Williamstown MP Wade Noonan.
Labor has vowed to investigate the feasibility of a high school in the Seddon, Kingsville, Yarraville (SKY) area, but the current government argues there is no need for the school, citing Department of Education studies showing sufficient capacity at other inner-west schools.
SKY High president Melissa Horne said more than 600 signatures collected during the recent Yarraville Festival demonstrated an enormous level of support for the campaign.
“More than 600 local residents signed this petition on just one day, which should be enough to get the Victorian government to sit up and take notice,” she said.
“We know that our local MPs, Marsha Thomson, Wade Noonan and [Greens MP] Colleen Hartland, have been very supportive of SKY High. We’ve also had a great commitment by the state Opposition to kick-start the process to finding a solution to this problem.”
SKY High accepts that surrounding schools, including Footscray City, Gilmore Girls and Bayside colleges, still have enough space for new students, but it argues the long lead time and high cost of a new school mean it’s vital the government begin planning and considering potential sites.
The group says a rapid rise in the number of students at local primary schools and the expected redevelopment of the former Bradmill site in Yarraville with more than 1500 new homes will further strengthen its push for a new high school in the area.
Ms Horne said SKY High intended to make more of an impact this year in the lead-up to the state election.
The petition is expected to be formally tabled in Parliament in coming weeks.
