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Lowanna Public School

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About this Item
Subjects -  Schools; Buildings
Speakers - Fraser Mr Andrew
Business - Private Members Statements


    LOWANNA PUBLIC SCHOOL
Page: 1702


    Mr ANDREW FRASER (Coffs Harbour) [4.35 p.m.]: It is fortuitous that the Minister for Education and Training is in the Chamber because the issue I raise is the removal of demountable buildings from Lowanna Public School. Lowanna is a lovely little area in the hinterland of the Coffs Harbour electorate. The small community, which supports itself fantastically, is about a 40-minute drive from Coffs Harbour. The area is growing because of the sea change attitude of people in Sydney who are moving to the North Coast. Many of them are moving into the hinterland area; they are not right on the beach. These people are now finding that a magnificent school that has existed for who knows how many years—it is probably more than 100 years—is to be severely downgraded by the removal of two demountable buildings. In an email I received Valerie Clay of Lowanna said:

    I am contacting you regarding the planned removal of demountables from Lowanna Primary School. Although the Departments standpoint is clear, I would like to express further concern about the fact that we are losing 2, not 1 building. As you are aware this places a huge impact on students and the wider community. I have done a little research and find that the policy on demountable buildings includes that the buildings must stay if they service a specific educational purpose. Surely such activities as reading/research, and the students ability to have access to an area conducive to learning is within the aims of the education department.

    If both buildings are removed, the school faces cramping in all remaining structures because all books, computers, etc must be relocated, and students will not be afforded space to work and learn without distraction. This is not to mention the strain on P & C to buy the shelving and fixtures that will be lost as they are fixed to the building.

    At this point, I am voicing my opinion and dismay and would like to reach out and offer backup to your argument. I understand that trying to keep both buildings would be unwise and think that we need to push the issue to save 1. It is a good compromise for both given the cost involved in such a venture and the high possibility that the school will have sufficient numbers to warrant the return of the building within 3 or 4 years.

    I would like to add, however, that backbiting locally has resulted in division between parents and the planned removal of 3 students to larger schools because the facilities here are being further compromised.

    I hope I can help in any way as I have a 10yo that has been schooled at Lowanna and a younger baby who I would like to see do the same. We are a small community and the environment and atmosphere is what we enjoy, help us keep it.

    Thank you for your time.

    We know that there is a surplus of demountables in Sydney; they are stored here somewhere. I believe that the cost of removing one demountable is about $75,000. The loss to the school of these demountables will be immense. The local Lowanna community will do anything necessary to save the buildings. As Ms Clay said, a compromise is to keep one of the demountables. The Coffs Coast Advocate of 1 September ran an article titled, "How dare they do this to the 'future of Australia'". People have pointed out to me that even if the demountables are removed, the remaining buildings have been classified as under code. So not only is the school losing the demountables; old buildings are being retained. Lowanna Public School is a great school. I would like the Minister for Education and Training to visit the school. I thank her for visiting two schools in my electorate in the past; they were impressed.

    The Lowanna community is smaller than the Dorrigo community. These people are telling me that children in classes from kindergarten to year 6 will have to be schooled in one room. It has been pointed out to me that students undertaking the Premier's reading challenge will have no library for books and no suitable environment for them to be taught. These demountables are also used by this small community. I ask the Minister to have the department investigate this issue and, if nothing else, try to retain one demountable and give the school the opportunity to have its computers, its library and learning area in one section and the teaching area in the other. It is sad that these small communities are shrinking, but they will grow. When I became a member of this place it was believed that a lot of these small schools would close. Schools like Upper Orara Public School, Karangi Public School, Coramba Public School and Bonville Public School are expanding because of sea changers. More children are coming in to the area. The shifting out of both of these demountables, purely on a numbers basis, is shortsighted. The school will be left severely disadvantaged.


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