THE State Government claims the 140 hectares of land it plans to sell off around Hurlstone Agricultural High School will not affect the school’s ability to teach its students.
But angry parents and pupils strongly disagree.
They believe its statewide reputation as an agricultural school is under attack.
The sale was part of last week’s mini-budget, with the two sites for sale – Glenfield and one in Manly –
expected to recoup the Government $239 million by 2012.
Education Minister Verity Firth told the Advertiser the department was just accelerating its annual selloff of surplus land at school and TAFE sites and the site had always been on the agenda to be sold.
She said half the proceeds from the sales would be returned to fund additional capital works, with the other 50 per cent to fund frontline police and nursing services.
‘‘Up to 140 hectares of land at Hurlstone Agricultural High School has been identified as not required for future educational purposes,’’ she said.
‘‘[The] school is co-located with Campbell House, Glenfield Park and Ajuga schools on 160 hectares of land at Glenfield.
‘‘A maximum of 140 hectares at [the] school will be sold in 2011.
‘‘The school will retain the 20 hectares currently used for teaching purposes and as a working farm.’’
Principal John Norris was unable to comment as he is under instructions from the Education Department not to speak to the media.
But Parents & Citizens (P&C) president Rose Fernandes said parents, students and supporters were ‘‘disgusted’’.
‘‘We were surprised and very disappointed because so many students that came to this school have contributed greatly to agriculture in NSW, taking up senior positions in the field,’’ she said.
‘‘As cities get bigger, agriculture will become more important and the land sale will affect future students at this school.’’
The P&C said they want to meet ministers in an attempt to stop the sale – which was announced last week without any consultation with the school community.
Ms Firth said the site would still be larger than the standard six hectare high school, and twice the size of James Ruse Agricultural High School, which operates on about 10 hectares.
‘‘Some of the proceeds from the sale of this surplus land will be re-invested in local schools,’’ she said.
‘‘Throughout the sale process, we will be talking to the
local Glenfield community and to Hurlstone Agricultural High School.
‘‘All aspects of the sales and proposed future land uses will go through the appropriate statutory planning and consultation processes.’’
Macquarie Fields State MP Andrew McDonald said his
understanding was the land surrounding the school was
used as a dry land dairy farm, although not intensively.
Dr McDonald said he would reserve his opinion until he
had more information.
But he asked: ‘‘In 2008, near a major suburban hub, can we afford to run a dry land dairy farm? That’s a question for the whole community’’.
A former student and wellknown local identity, who
attended the school about 60 years ago (and asked not be named), said although he did not think the land sale would ruin the academic reputation, it would ruin the school’s practical agricultural reputation.
‘‘If they sell off all of those acres, how are they going to
manage?’’ he said.
The former student said he was not surprised as the school did not make the most of the land. ‘‘I feel like this is the beginning of the end,’’ he said.
‘‘They are looking at this school in a different aspect
because many other agricultural high schools are in country towns and Glenfield is on the fringe of the city.’’
Hurlstone was originally founded in 1906 near Ashfield,
on what was then Sydney’s outer fringe – the modern suburb of Hurlstone Park gets its name from the school.
Relocating to its present site in 1926, Hurlstone thrived in
its new environment and became one of Campbelltown’s
most famous learning institutions.
The school was specifically designed to draw (originally male) students from across NSW and prepare them for farm work. Girls began attending in 1979.
¦ Current and past students of the school also think it is likely that in the proposed sell-off, the 60-year old Memorial Forest will fall outside of Hurlstone’s future boundaries, and will be left with an uncertain future.
It was established in 1950 as a memorial of 600
Hurlstonians who served in both World Wars.
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