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Plans to build a private primary school for more than 300 students have distressed locals in a tiny farming community of 100 people near Geelong.
Bacchus Marsh Grammar School has applied to build a private primary school at its Staughton Vale campus, 40 minutes from Geelong, which now teaches agriculture, outdoor education and environmental studies to 150 students.
If the government approves the school, it would mean there would be 300 extra students commuting to the 83½-hectare property, dwarfing the local community of just 100 people.
The private school already has 3800 students at two other campuses at Maddingley, in Bacchus Marsh, and Woodlea, in Melton.
The school wants to expand the Staughton Vale site to create a primary to Year 8 campus, retaining the 150 agriculture students and offering “added capacity and greater choice for families across the wider region”, according to its application to the state government’s planning department.
But Staughton Vale and Anakie Action Group member Kristy Vasils said she was shocked to find out through other members of the community that the school planned to build a primary school at the site.
“We’re just kind of wondering why they would want to put a school out in the middle of nowhere and plan to bus kids in.
“If we were to have an increase in traffic coming past of buses and things like that, especially at 3.30 in the afternoon, that is really concerning for me because it’s already pretty congested at that time of the day,” she said.
Vasils, who lives in Anakie, 12 kilometres away, said the local community was happy with the current campus.
“We don’t mind them bringing students out and showing them a beautiful piece of land and doing gardening and different activities with them there,” she said.
“The problem is with this particular permit that they’re now applying for … they’re wanting 300 permanent primary school students there, along with 150 high school students as well.”
Bacchus Marsh Grammar principal Debra Ogston said the campus had operated for more than a decade and the school had followed the standard planning process.
“As part of this process, members of the community have the opportunity to consider the proposal and make submissions before a decision is made by the responsible authority,” she said.
The principal said hundreds of Bacchus Marsh Grammar students benefited from the agricultural, outdoor and environmental learning at the Staughton Vale property.
“The proposed development will broaden these opportunities for students in Melbourne’s west,” she said.
Others who lived closer to the property said they were concerned about how it could affect the landscape and environment of the area.
Michael Dragt lives opposite the property and said he feared an approval meant the school could continue to expand.
“We have no doubt it’s part of their growth plans,” he said.
Dragt said the number of students would overwhelm the area, which was zoned for farming and had four people per kilometre.
“It’ll totally change the environment out there,” he said.
The area was zoned for farming, and many locals still grew crops or had stock on neighbouring land, he said.
“They’re not connected to anyone in the farming community to help, you know, grow those learnings with the kids – that’s what I’d like to see happen.”
Dragt was also concerned that students wouldn’t be able to evacuate quickly if there was a bushfire.
“It’s a deep concern to think that they would place the school so far out of context with no resources.”
Ecologist Mark Trengove, who also lives nearby, said the plans were outrageous.
“It’s just totally inappropriate the way they’ve treated the community and what they’re actually fundamentally trying to do is inappropriate,” he said.
He was also concerned the biodiversity report the school commissioned didn’t address impact on threatened species, including the endangered swift parrot and yellow gum trees.
Students would be bused to the location from the existing secondary school and surrounding areas using private bus services, the planning documents say, while staff would drive and use an on-site car park.
The documents claim the rural location is essential to the operation of the campus.
A Victorian government spokesman said the proposal would be considered on its merits and as it was under assessment it would be inappropriate to comment further.
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Caroline Schelle is an education reporter, and joined The Age in 2022. She previously covered courts at AAP.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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