Building Underway At Fishermans Bend Secondary School

Families living in one of Melbourne’s newest urban renewal communities are a step closer to having an exciting new vertical school, after work got underway on the new Fishermans Bend Secondary School today.

Minister for Education James Merlino turned the first sod on the project in Port Melbourne, with the four-storey school will open in 2022 and cater for up to 1100 students.

The Andrews Labor Government has invested $3.8 million in planning works for the school, while the school sharing in the government’s $624.8 million investment in school builds and upgrades in the Victorian Budget 2019/20.

Fishermans Bend Secondary School – the school’s interim name – is one of a growing number of vertical government schools being rolled out in Victoria to help meet increasing demand.

Its architecture and materials honour the area’s unique identity, including its proximity to the ocean, local maritime and industrial history. Informed by local community consultations, the state-of-the-art school will showcase environmentally-sustainable design and feature high-tech amenities, including a fabrication lab and robotics workshop.

There will also be an array of arts, food technology, sports and Learning Resource Centre spaces that can be shared with the community.

The school will have a strong focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths). Once completed, it will include a high-tech robotics workshop, digital technology and fabrication lab, which will expose students to career pathways that align with Fishermans Bend’s proposed design, engineering and manufacturing precinct.

Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest and most ambitious urban renewal project and has been designated by the Government as a priority precinct. At 485 hectares it is twice the size of the adjacent CBD and by 2050, it is expected to be home to approximately 80,000 residents and support 80,000 knowledge economy jobs.

The Labor Government is investing $6.1 billion to deliver more than 1,400 school upgrades and 100 new schools over to open by 2026, ensuring every child can access a great local school and get a great start in life.

As stated by Minister for Education James Merlino

“I’m excited that the community’s vision for a Fishermans Bend secondary school is now becoming a reality and students will get to attend a modern and innovative school with first-rate facilities.”

As stated by Member for Albert Park Martin Foley

“We’ll open 100 new schools by 2026 – creating thousands of jobs and ensuring every child has a great education at their local public school.”