​New state school for Brisbane’s inner west

The due diligence conducted by the department has determined that the former Toowong Bowls Club responds well to the site selection criteria identified by the department and shared with the community in earlier rounds of community consultation:

• Catchment relief—the former Toowong Bowls Club site is able to provide enrolment relief to Indooroopilly State School, Ironside State School and Toowong State School through the development of negotiated catchments.
• Access to green space—the new school's daily play space will be provided within the building platform, however the proximity to Perrin Park will provide the school with safe access to green space for special events. As with any park user, this access will be coordinated with the Brisbane City Council.
• Value for money—by expanding departmental assets in the inner west region the department achieves value for money through the preservation of future building platforms at Indooroopilly State High School, allowing for future growth of secondary student numbers.
• Active transport—the former Toowong Bowls Club is situated near many active transport routes, which will give parents and students the flexibility to determine how they travel to the school site.
• Safe access—in addition to active transport options, the former Toowong Bowls Club site is better able to support safe travel through the provision of a dedicated drop off/pick up area for parents and carers.
• Suitable size—the platform of the former Toowong Bowls Club provides approximately 1 hectare for the building platform with easy access to the Perrin Park facilities for occasional use by the school.
• Community use—the development of the former Toowong Bowls site as a state school will enhance the Perrin Park precinct by providing additional facilities that can be used by the community outside of school hours.

The school is now planned to open for Day 1, 2024 to allow for adequate in-depth planning, the required approvals, site acquisition and consultation before the commencement of construction.

The department acknowledges the important ecological value and status of the flying-fox colony that roost in Perrin Park. The department will not attempt to move the colony, but will work with qualified ecologists and the relevant areas of local, state and federal government to ensure the ongoing health and viability of the colony.

The due diligence undertaken prior to selecting the former Toowong Bowls Club as the preferred site for the new school has determined that, with a range of modifications to the construction methodology and timing, the development of the school will not negatively impact the colony.

As a colony that exists in a highly urbanised environment, ecologists have advised the department that the operation of the school will not pose a risk to the colony.

The department notes that the school will be located further from the main area of the flying fox colony than the existing Brisbane City Council playground facilities and the SES Depot. Ecologists have advised the health risk to humans from the colony is low, but specialist advice will be sought to ensure all appropriate measures to protect the health of students and staff are put in place.

Following three months of feasibility studies and due diligence for both the ISHS and former Toowong Bowls Club sites, the ISHS site was set aside for the following reasons:

• The delivery of a new school would encroach more than anticipated in earlier studies on the existing ISHS site.
• Due to this encroachment there would be a need for major decanting and reinstatement of ISHS facilities over the project lifecycle, causing significant disruptions to the ISHS community.
  
• Existing traffic issues could not be mitigated, with potential traffic solutions creating significant limitation on the design of facilities for both the new school and ISHS.
  

From early 2023, the department will seek expressions of interest (EOIs) for students wishing to enrol at the new inner west state school. Submitting an EOI does not guarantee your child a place but ensures you are part of the developing school community.

Following the appointment of the Foundation Principal, the new school administration team will then manage the finalisation of enrolments. Leading up to the school's opening, the department keeps the Foundation Principal informed about community members who have submitted enrolment EOIs.

Employment opportunities will be advertised on the Queensland Government website.

The Queensland Procurement Policy 2021 requires there to be a full, fair and reasonable opportunity for Queensland suppliers to supply government. Government tender processes are released to market via the QTenders website.

You can receive emails about new tender opportunities, tailoring them to your industry and location. To register for future tender opportunities, visit QTenders and click on "Suppliers" under "Register". Complete the relevant details for your organisation on this page to receive notifications. We would also encourage you to regularly check the site for other opportunities.

You can monitor the procurement arrangements available across the Queensland Government by visiting the Queensland Contracts Directory. In addition, you may like to consider registering with QBuild for upcoming work they may seek quotes for.

Please contact the service help desk on bsu@hpw.qld.gov.au or (07) 3215 3699 for further information. If you have any questions, please contact the Procurement Support Unit at Procurement.Facilities@qed.qld.gov.au.

Construction activities are undertaken in accordance with Brisbane City Council regulations, which stipulate that construction begins no earlier than 6.30am and concludes no later than 6.30pm Monday to Saturday. If works are required outside of regulated construction hours, such as night works, the contractor will seek the necessary approvals and keep the local community informed. For more information on construction and noise regulations, please visit the official Brisbane City Council website.

Mitigation measures will vary between projects and be adopted by the contractor to reduce impacts during construction. Measures may include: scheduling works to avoid sensitive times, selecting appropriate machinery and equipment, installing noise and environmental impact mitigation treatments, ongoing monitoring and providing advance notice to the neighbouring community.

It is important to recognise that the construction period is temporary and the delivery of new educational infrastructure provides a significant long-term benefit to the broader community.

The department has identified increased growth and primary student enrolment relief is needed in Brisbane’s inner west. The large population growth, the considerable number of additional primary students expected and the projected capacity pressure at nearby state primary schools all support the need for a new school. The new school will provide long-term enrolment capacity in the schooling network and enable the department to address the growing demand that is occurring in this area.

The catchment area for the new school will be confirmed during Term 3, 2023 and become available closer to the end of the year. When available, the new catchment can be found on EdMaps.

The department actively monitors enrolment growth across Queensland to ensure all children, no matter where they live, have access to quality educational facilities. When planning for new schools, the department considers capacity of the existing network, the ability to expand existing schools, growth in the local student population and land availability. For more information on new schools being planned and delivered across Queensland, please visit the program page.