0400 774 102 paul @ landscapelogicnsw. com. au www. landscapelogicnsw. com. au
5 Walker St, South Windsor Phone 4577 4622
LOCAL LIFE
Pop-up Box Hill High School is no substitute for long-term education plan
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Two recently unveiled NSW Government school projects have been welcomed by the Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne – but she warns they fall short of addressing the public-school crisis in Box Hill.
Mayor Byrne said the announced upgrade of Rouse Hill High School and the fast-tracking of Box Hill High School were positive steps, but still far from a comprehensive solution.
“ This is a move in the right direction – but it’ s like trying to stop a tsunami with a sandbag,” Mayor Byrne said.
“ This Government has given us the biggest housing target in the state, without the matching infrastructure investment.
“ We already have the most overcrowded schools in New South Wales – and these projects won’ t even meet the needs of the current student population in Box Hill and Rouse Hill, let alone the tens of thousands expected in the coming years.
“ Thousands of families in Box Hill are still being forced to send their children up to 45 minutes away just to access public education. That’ s not fair, and it’ s not sustainable.”
Rouse Hill High School currently enrols students from parts of Box Hill, with enrolments growing from 931 students in
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2020 to 1,324 in 2024. Mayor Byrne said the community urgently needs three additional primary schools and one Kindergarten to Year 12 school to meet current and future demand in Box Hill.
“ When the Box Hill Precinct was first rezoned, it was expected to accommodate 9,600 homes and 28,000 people. Now, due to increased housing density driven by successive NSW Governments, we’ re facing a population of 50,000 within the next decade,” Mayor Byrne said.
“ Delivering one pop-up high school limited to just two year groups is a bandaid solution to a full-blown crisis.
“ We need schools in Box Hill now – and not just in Box Hill, but across the wider Hills community.
“ The Hills has the most overcrowded schools in the state, with 46 per cent exceeding their enrolment cap by more than 100 students.”
To advocate for essential infrastructure, The Hills Shire Council has launched its Fight for a Fairer Hills Future campaign,
calling on the NSW Government to commit to 40 new sports fields, 45 road upgrades, and 14 new schools to support the region’ s rapid growth.
“ Council is giving our residents a chance to have their growing pains heard in NSW Parliament. We need people to get behind this campaign so that the Government understands the daily struggles our community is facing,” Mayor Byrne said.
Sign the petition at: www. fairerhillsfuture. com. au
Lic: 347025C
Paul McDarmont
0400 774 102 paul @ landscapelogicnsw. com. au www. landscapelogicnsw. com. au
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THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 120 // JUNE 2025 5