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Saved, for now

SORAIYA GHARAHKHANI
18 Nov, 2009 10:30 AM
HURLSTONE Agricultural High School is saved - for now.

The head of the controversial ``independent'' inquiry, Mal Peters, released a 250-page report on Monday, but it has generated as many questions as answers.

The good news is, if the State Government complies with the recommendations, it would be forced to improve the school's resources and actually increase the size of its farm.

Thirty extra hectares to be leased from the Department of Planning would enlarge the school to 180 hectares.

To pay for it all, Mr Peters recommends that 10.6 hectares of Hurlstone land near the M5 valued at about $15 million be sold off to generate ``sufficient capital to invest in the infrastructure and resources''.

But the inquiry angered campaigners by also recommending that the school be carved in two, with principal John Norris left in charge of only the main school site. The Department of Education and Training which proposed selling the land in the first place would run both the boarding school and farm.

``Dracula has just been put in charge of the blood bank,'' said Tiffany Spears, the president of SHEAP (Save Hurlstone's Educational Agricultural Property).

The report stated that 30 hectares of surplus rail link land could increase the school's farming capacity.

``With the sale of 10 hectares and access to an additional 30 hectares through a leasing arrangement with the Department of Planning, Hurlstone will increase the total land available for its use to 180 hectares a net increase of 20 hectares,'' it said.

``From its inception at Glenfield in 1927 until 1993, the school's average land area has been approximately 135 hectares.

``Although 76 hectares were added from the agricultural research station in 1993, a further 52.9 hectares were transferred to the Department of Planning leaving the current site at approximately 159 hectares.''

The inquiry recommended that to maximise the commercial and educational opportunities that exist on the farm and in the boarding school ``by the end of 2009, or as soon as practicable, a commercial manager be appointed at Hurlstone for an initial three-year term''.

``It is recommended that management of the farm and boarding facilities no longer remain the responsibility of the school, but are considered resources and facilities of the south-western Sydney region,'' the report said. ``This will allow the principal to concentrate his efforts on the operation of the day school.''

The inquiry said alleviating responsibility from the principal would allow him to focus on implementing a mandatory study of agriculture and primary industries to HSC students.

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comments


Date: Newest first | Oldest first
Who do you trust to look after this farm and green space in the long run. A. The bureaucrats who have tried to sell it 3 times in 30 years. B. The historic school and staff who have been custodians and maintained it despite chronic underinvestment by the same DET that the report now wants to hand control to. Putting the DET in charge of a split farm option, rather than keeping the school as custodians in an integrated agricultural education institution is a recipe for disaster and goes against all the research. Even the report says the DET doesn't understand the agricultural schools and have been the main problem(pages 116-117)- so how do you get a recommendation that these people be put in charge? I smell a rat.
Posted by Gobsmacked, 18/11/2009 12:19:25 PM
So Big Mal has made a recommendation to rush through a major change for the school to split it into 2 and hey lets do this by the end of the year. Where else is this done? and where is the business plan? Oh and before you get your centre up Mal how are you going to pay for the staff at this new hostel?. That's right this is a vision well as a boarder parent it is not a vision I buy into. I want my child to have a total holistic and caring experience when he is not at home I do not want him living in a hostel that is split from the school and run by someone who only looks at the bottom line rather than the childrens needs. This is their home so keep your hands off.
Posted by Pat, 18/11/2009 1:56:39 PM
Sounds very familiar. All they are after is the mighty dollar. Our children are the bottom of their priorities. It's time the government stopped wasting money and put money into our children as they are the next generation.
Posted by Debbie B, 18/11/2009 6:25:44 PM
Oh the DET in charge, now that makes me feel a whole lot better, after all the only way they seem to be able to manage their assests is to sell them off. Too hard lets sell it !
Posted by mich, 18/11/2009 8:32:24 PM
Education vs Real Estate. Seems to be an ongoing goal for Mr Rees this year.
Posted by Michele T, 18/11/2009 10:49:26 PM
the hostel was the the richest in the state until the dept reduced numbers it is their fault we are broke now , to become commerical is simply paying more for less , why doesnt the dept look at outside contract cleaners how much work do they do now they are contract , goodbye to good food and service by the current Hostel staff ask St gregs what happen to them when they went commerical rice for breakfast ,lunch and Dinner Have respect for the Hostel staff that are there now
Posted by dee, 19/11/2009 8:53:45 AM
With the government insisting we all need to stand up and take heed of the climate change alarm bells, one would think they would be throwing money towards developing ag education!!! These kids, the farmers of the future, will need to solve production dilemmas to meet the demands of changing ag ecosystems. Ms Wong maybe needs to do some convincing at a State level. As for carving the place in 2 - what a shimozzle!!
Posted by Ria, 19/11/2009 5:14:52 PM

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Relieved, but still concerned: Hurlstone Agricultural High School students (from left) Jess Verwey, Xenii Newham, Jordan Kerr and Jess Dunn in the school's ``outdoor classroom'' on Monday. Pictures: Carlos Furtado
Relieved, but still concerned: Hurlstone Agricultural High School students (from left) Jess Verwey, Xenii Newham, Jordan Kerr and Jess Dunn in the school's ``outdoor classroom'' on Monday. Pictures: Carlos Furtado
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