By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
GREATER Dandenong Council is pressing ahead with plans for building a Keysborough South community hub as it waits for the State Government to commit to a co-located primary school.
The suburb, which is fast filling with several thousand homes, is served by three private schools but has no secular, state-run primary or secondary facilities within walking distance.
Greater Dandenong councillor Matthew Kirwan said new residents – many mortgaged to the hilt – couldn’t afford to send their children to private schools and were instead commuting to surrounding suburbs such as Edithvale and Dingley.
“They’re desperately looking for a government school option.
“They are missing out on that experience of seeing their neighbour’s children at school and hanging out on weekends.”
In its 2015-16 draft budget, Greater Dandenong Council has allocated $3 million towards acquiring land for a sorely-needed community centre.
“One of the reasons that the council left the community hub project for a number of years is because it wanted to co-locate it with a school.
“It’s now got to the stage that we need to get on with it regardless.”
The council is set to consider whether to acquire land for a primary school as well in Monday’s council meeting.
More than 600 desperate residents have petitioned for the State Government to urgently build a long-awaited primary school.
Keysborough South Action Group spokeswoman Nina Kelly said there had been massive growth in the suburb over the past few years while state schools such as Maralinga Primary School and Coomoora Secondary College had closed.
She cited 2011 census data that around 70 per cent of households were families with children living at home.
She said since then there had been “significant development” in the area, including Somerfield estate.
“People want a local state-based primary school that is within walking distance so children do not have to cross two major roads, each with six lanes of traffic, to attend school every day.
“With both my children being under four years of age and most of my neighbours having to drive their children to school, I wanted to improve walking access to public schools in the local community.”
She said the State Government had yet to provide funding for acquiring land or construction of the school.
An education department spokesman recently said there was currently “capacity” in the Keysborough network to “accommodate short-term growth forecasts”.
“The department will continue to work with the City of Greater Dandenong and other relevant stakeholders to monitor and plan for government school provision in the area to ensure families have access to high-quality education as the population continues to grow.”
The petition for a Keysborough South primary school is available at the council’s customer service centres, maternal and child health centres, and libraries.
