Government scraps Ultimo school sell-off

The NSW Government has dumped its plan to sell Ultimo Public School to property developers.

As reported earlier this month, the O’Farrell Government “concept plan” would see the school sold to an apartment developer, who would demolish it, build a high-rise apartment tower on the site, then move the school back in as a tenant on several floors of the building.

The unprecedented plan would see 600 students share the building with 200 apartments.

However, in the wake of community outrage, the State Government has dumped the idea, telling City News it would not go ahead without the support of the Ultimo school community.

“The concept plan presented to the Ultimo Public School Parents and Citizens [P&C] Association was exactly that – a concept – and it will remain just that without the support of the P&C,” said a spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education and Communities.

The Ultimo Public School P&C Committee officially rejected the idea at a meeting on November 12.

Responding to a question in Parliament from Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli also confirmed the proposal was scrapped.

“The option presented to the Ultimo Public School P&C Association by the Department of Education and Communities … was to consider how best to cater for the expected increase in enrolments at the school in future years,” Mr Piccoli said last Wednesday.

“Media reports a few days later indicated that the P&C did not want to pursue the option the department proposed. The Premier and I have said that if the community does not want it, it will not go ahead – end of story.”

Bill d’Anthes, president of the Ultimo Public School P&C, welcomed the news but said the government still needed to fix overcrowding issues at the school.

“The increasing pressures on the school need to be addressed urgently, to combat a 300 student place shortfall” said Mr d’Anthes.

“So far, it’s been managed by demountable classrooms and decreasing the school’s catchment area, which is unviable as a long term solution.

“The Department has suggested cutting back the catchment area to William Henry Street, which would mean any subsequent cut would see the ridiculous situation of the school being situated outside its own catchment area.”

Mr d’Anthes said the area needed a new school “yesterday” and suggested the Wattle Street Council Depot in Pyrmont as an appropriate site.

“We see the best solution to be construction of a second school in Pyrmont, as most pupils now enrolled at Ultimo are from Pyrmont.

“A school could be built on a portion of the Wattle Street Council Depot site in Pyrmont relatively quickly.”

A spokesperson for the Department said a “working group” would consider that, and other, options in the coming months.