- McGowan Government commits to building a new primary school in inner-city Perth
- Queens Gardens car park in East Perth identified as preferred site
- New primary school will provide enrolment relief for Highgate Primary School
- Target opening date is 2028 for students from Kindergarten to Year 6
- Project is part of ongoing work to make the city more liveable and entice families
The McGowan Labor Government has today committed to building a new inner-city primary school to meet the forecasted population growth in central Perth.
The 2023-24 State Budget will provide $1.4 million to progress further technical studies on the favoured site for the new primary school at Queens Gardens car park on Nelson Crescent, East Perth and finalise the business case.
Due to the complex intersections of heritage considerations, ground conditions and traffic management within the inner-city, finding a suitable site has been a challenging process.
The Queens Gardens car park site has been identified as the ideal location to service the local community and take enrolment pressure off the nearby Highgate and other surrounding primary schools. It also offers opportunities for future students to benefit from world-class nearby facilities such as those that are part of the WACA redevelopment.
The new investment will allow for the continuation of planning and geotechnical studies to be undertaken at the preferred location, which is also easy to access and close to transport routes.
The Department of Education will work to address enrolment pressure at Highgate Primary School during the interim period while the new school is being built.
The new school will service families living in Northbridge, Perth and East Perth, providing modern facilities to support teaching and learning.
The school is targeted to open for the start of the 2028 school year for students in Kindergarten to Year 6.
State Government agencies will work together with the City of Perth to progress this exciting project for inner-city families.
The McGowan Government continues to invest in new and improved public-school infrastructure in Western Australia. Construction will begin shortly on building two new schools – the $27.2 million Wattleup East Primary School and the $27.1 million Henley Brook Primary School.
As stated by Education Minister Tony Buti:
“We are committed to delivering the best schooling facilities and improving education outcomes for families in Western Australia.
“As the popularity of Perth’s inner-city suburbs continues to grow, it’s vital that we provide a new primary school to cater for local families and relieve enrolment pressure from Highgate Primary School.
“The Queens Gardens site in East Perth is the best location for a primary school to support families in the city for years to come and transform the area for the benefit of the community.
“This is an exciting time for public education in Western Australia and I’m sure parents in the inner city will be pleased to have another schooling option for their children.”
As stated by Planning Minister Rita Saffioti:
“The delivery of this new school will complement the ongoing revitalisation of East Perth, with significant investment being made by the State Government to redevelop the WACA Ground including a fantastic new community aquatic facility.
“The McGowan Government is investing in infrastructure that will support the ongoing growth and activation of our city including the new ECU City campus, the Causeway Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge and the revitalisation of the Perth Cultural Centre.
“Delivering a new school is another piece of the puzzle that will support more residential infill, and build a more vibrant city.”
As stated by Perth MLA John Carey:
“Together with local inner-city communities, including East Perth, we have strongly advocated for this much-needed new primary school.
“I want to acknowledge and thank the local community for their strong advocacy.
“This new inner-city primary school will be a major boost to the city, not only in attracting more families to live in the heart of Perth, but also providing the necessary amenities to bring more people and vibrancy.
“Critically, a new inner-city primary school will take pressure off Highgate Primary School, which has seen increased growth and demand.”
