Minarah College will be a co-educational Kindergarten to Year 12 school, with classrooms and facilities to be future-focused and purpose built to prepare students for jobs of the future.
The new school will feature:
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An Early Learning Centre (ELC) for 60 students.
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School for Specific Purpose (SSP) for 30 students.
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Primary School accommodating 505 students.
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High School for 385 students.
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On-site parking with 96 parking spaces and a dedicated drop-off/pick-up area.
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Amenities including a library, canteen, a primary school hall, high school hall and a sports field.
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Site access from Catherine Fields Road at two different points.
Public Exhibition
The updated State Signficant Development Application (SSDA) has been acceepted by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and we have been advised that our proposal will be placed on public exhibition in September/October 2024.
The public exhibition period will run for 28 days, in which stakeholders are welcome to submit feedback.
The Department will notify surrounding residents of the public exhibition.
You can also reach out with any questions via our community engagement team at enquiries@minarahcollege.com.au.
Prior to starting construction, we will update neighbours and will minimse the impact of site activities as possible.
Project Background
Minarah College in Catherine Field is being developed to function as the second campus of Minarah College Green Valley Campus, one of the top performing schools in Liverpool based on NAPLAN results. It will welcome local students and families from all faiths, enabling diverse and rewarding community connections.
Minarah College engaged the local community in 2021 and held information sessions to gather feedback on the proposed development.
A State Significant Development Application (SSDA) was submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure in 2022, which was publicly exhibited by the Department and allowed a further opportunity for community feedback.
Our project team has since undertaken a comprehensive review of feedback shared by neighbours and other stakeholders.
After careful consideration of important matters raised, we have prepared documentation for an amended application.
Our Amended Application
The amended SSDA reduces the total number of students from 1,580 to 980.
We are confident the new design reflects the needs of the community and will deliver an environment that fosters the emotional, social, and physical wellbeing of students.
The reduction in the operational capacity of the school will decrease the pressure placed on public infrastructure and will enable the school to be serviced completely on site. The school population has been reduced by 600 students to create three streams per year group, rather than the four proposed under the original SSDA. This has enabled a reduction in the building footprint and has increased the setback from properties on Heatherfield Close, while still providing a functional design that meets the Educational Facilities Standards and Guidelines (EFSG) space requirements.
Key design principles have been applied to ensure the school is a valuable addition to the local neighbourhood:
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School buildings are designed to reflect local character.
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Native landscaping will complement the semi-rural surrounds.
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School buildings are well within the site boundaries to prevent overshadowing on neighbouring properties.
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The project strives for the highest Green Star rating obtainable with the Green Building Council Australia, ensuring a positive contribution to local sustainability.
The school will provide the highest quality educational facilities to Western Sydney families, in a location that is experiencing exponential population growth. Furthermore, we are committed to sharing the new school facilities with the community when they are not required by the school. For example, providing access to the halls and the sports field.
The amended SSDA also outlines a staged approach to construction, delivering the new school in line with growth in the local population:
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Stage 1: 2026, 318 students and 15 staff.
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Stage 2: 2031, 652 students and 33 staff.
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Stage 3: 2035, 980 students and 51 staff (operating at full capacity).
To learn more about the new school, we invite you to review the details of our application on the NSW Major Projects website.