Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This is a submission by the group High School for Coburg (HSC) re the Kodak
Development Plan in particular reference to infrastructure provision and need .
Early Years
The report states that demand for early years facilities will decrease to 2020
however the company responsible for Moreland council population data , id ,say
there is nothing to support this assumption .In their projections the 0-4 age
group increases in North Coburg over that time .Therefore taking into
account Kodak population as well ,which isn’t factored in by id until 2019 it is
impossible to come to the conclusion that the demand for early years
facilties will decrease to 2020.
We note that there is no mention of secondary education facilities for this area.
This was also the case with the Coburg Initiative early on , until community
consultation identified the need for a high school to be the biggest equal issue for
the Coburg community.(CI Speak Out in the Mall 2009 ) resulting in it’s inclusion
in the previous two CI newsletters.
There are 22 primary schools and yet not one open entry state secondary school
servicing the Coburg and West Preston area.
Justin Madden MP acknowledges a trend for families to leave the area when
their children reach high school age , he uses this trend as justification for no
high school. HSC say families leave because there is no school and would stay
and help build this community if there was a local high school. We have two
directors of local real estate agents who back this up –they say people are
leaving and also not moving in because there is no secondary school.
HSC’s survey report representing 556 local children also backs this argument.
Over 50% said they were considering leaving due to no high school, where as
96% would use it if one existed.
Minister Bronwyn Pike, in a letter to Kelvin Thompson MP re HSC , said that” a provision plan
is developed for each community. “
Minister Pike said “ data considered for the plan includes population data, current and future
demand and local community education needs.
Redevelopment of the Kodak and Pentridge sites and the likely number of families and children
who will live in these areas will be considered as part of the overall facilities planning for both
primary and secondary schools in Coburg.”
DPCD and ID projections show the Coburg SLA has the greatest number of children and
the highest expected growth in Moreland - add to this the very large number of children in
West Preston and there is clearly great level of need for a secondary school and many families
being denied equity of access to secondary education.
HSC asks that the report considers the Darebin side of Elizabeth Street when considering
provision and demand as there is a Natural Neighbourhood which spans the Darebin and
Moreland border and indeed the border of Pascoe Vale and Preston state electorates.
The Kodak development is occurring within this secondary education black hole which represents
a major gap in provision and can only add to the need .
Yours sincerely,
Catherine Hall
18 Julius Street
Coburg North
www.highschoolforcoburg.org