POLITICS New high school under construction for Tallawong and Schofields
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with Warren Kirby MP State Member for Riverstone
The Minns Labor Government is delivering the biggest investment in public education infrastructure in NSW history, and communities in Sydney’ s North- West are seeing the benefits firsthand. Construction is now underway on the first brand-new high school in Tallawong- one of the fastest-growing suburbs in Sydney- marking a major milestone for local families. Located on a four-hectare
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site at Guntawong Road, the new high school will open Day 1, Term 1, 2027 and accommodate up to 1,000 students. It will include more than 50 classrooms, specialist science and technology workshops, a library, multipurpose hall, outdoor learning spaces, sports facilities and an Aboriginal cultural learning hub. Designed for future expansion, this is exactly the kind of long-term planning a growing community needs.
It also stands in sharp contrast to the former Liberal – National Government,
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which approved thousands of new homes across the North-West but failed to build the schools needed to support them. The Department’ s own Enrolment Growth Audit confirmed that despite the region having the fastest-growing student population in the state, the previous government failed to plan for it.
The Tallawong High School build is part of a broader $ 1.5 billion pipeline of new and upgraded schools across the region, replacing more than 160 demountables with over 700 modern classrooms. New and
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expanded schools in The Gables, Grantham Farm, Nirimba Fields, Box Hill, Schofields, Rouse Hill and more will provide places for more than 15,000 additional students.
Alongside this, teacher vacancies have fallen dramatically- down 71 per cent in Riverstone alone- thanks to the Minns Labor Government’ s work to rebuild the teaching workforce.
After more than a decade of neglect, the Minns Labor Government is delivering the world-class schools and skilled teachers North-West families deserve.
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WESTERN SYDNEY COUNCILS JOIN FORCES, SAVING RATEPAYERS MILLIONS
The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils( WSROC) has released its latest Annual Report, revealing how joint council action is cutting costs and delivering better outcomes for local communities.
WSROC President, Councillor Brad Bunting, said the report demonstrates the power of collaboration across the region.
“ By working together, WSROC member councils have saved ratepayers tens of millions of dollars, dramatically reduced carbon emissions, commenced an ambitious biodiversity rescue program, reduced litter and waste, and continued to put downward pressure on the cost of living,” he said. Collectively, councils have:
• Saved $ 75 million through regional energy projects.
• Successfully challenged streetlighting charges, saving $ 34 million over five years for ratepayers in the Endeavour Energy area.
• Attracted $ 450,000 for a Regional Litter Prevention Plan.
• Secured $ 9.5 million for waste reduction and circular economy initiatives.
• Secured $ 2.5 million for tools and strategies to manage extreme heat.
• Secured $ 1.5 million for a Caring for Country program supporting First Nations communities.
• Secured $ 1 million under the Cumberland Plains Conservation Plan to curb illegal native vegetation clearing.
Councillor Bunting said Western Sydney councils’ combined advocacy contributed directly to the NSW Government’ s toll relief scheme, including a $ 60 weekly toll cap and ongoing review of the motorway tolling system— an important saving for households paying the highest toll bills in Sydney.
WSROC has also pushed for stronger mitigation around the Western Sydney International Airport, commissioning independent peer reviews of environmental statements— something no other organisation undertook. The result includes federal commitments to fairer noise distribution, noise amelioration and property acquisition.
WSROC continues to call for stronger community consultation and fairness in scheduling aircraft movements and flight paths.
Eight Western Sydney councils are working jointly on waste and litter reduction. Domestic waste in the region is forecast to rise by 46 per cent by 2041, while litter currently costs councils $ 31.2 million a year.
Western Sydney councils are also leading heat-resilience planning through the Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce and the new Heat Smart City Plan.“ By working together, WSROC councils have delivered significant savings and better outcomes for our communities,” Councillor Bunting said.
Download the report: bit. ly / 2025 _ WSROC _ Report
18 ISSUE 58 // JANUARY 2026 theindependentmagazine. com. au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT