Community support is crucial for the purchase of land at Milton for a second school to come to fruition, South Coast MP Shelley Hancock said.
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Although the former Shoalhaven Anglican School site has not yet been listed for sale, the Anglican Schools Corporation has flagged its intention to sell the site.
Mrs Hancock urged the community to sign a petition, which is in shops throughout the district, calling on the NSW Government to purchase the land, in an effort to have the issue debated in parliament.
“There are only a couple of sitting weeks left for 2017 so it will not be debated until next year anyway,” she said.
“We will be collecting signatures until we get to 10,000 and it can be debated in parliament. Once we get those signatures, we will set a timetable for a debate.”
The corporation announced in August it would close the trade school and Gumnut Pre-Kinder, which operate from the Croobyar Road land, in December 2017 and list the property for sale.
“It is not for sale yet. That is the issue,” Mrs Hancock said.
“They might put it on the market in 2017, but they might not until 2018. The community can’t be complacent about supporting this.”
The Anglican Schools Corporation will lodge a development application with Shoalhaven City Council to divide the land into two parts, isolating the preschool site for individual sale.
It is hoped this will secure the future of the preschool, which cares for more than 80 children, beyond December 2017.
Mrs Hancock said she did not see a reason for the subdivision application to be rejected by council.
“They should be able to subdivide. It will be used for the same purpose as it is now,” she said.
“If it is [not approved], and we have to purchase the whole site, we could perhaps lease [the preschool] back, or another arrangement.
“The heart of process is to retain Gumnut as well. That is how it all started.”
Mrs Hancock met with the NSW Minister for Education Rob Stokes again this week, relaying to him the wave of community support for a second high school.
“People can talk about it all they like, but I need to be able say to the minister, ‘Have a look at this petition, look as these letters’,” she said.
“I want them to know that it is not just me who think this is a great idea, but it is the entire community that is behind this.”
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