East Perth site for new inner-city primary school announced, 2028 open date targeted

WA Minster for Housing John Carey revealed this morning plans for a new city primary school, aiming to be open by 2028 where the Queens Garden carpark is in East Perth.

It will be the first public school to open in the city in over 100 years.

“We’re all working together to make East Perth and our wider city an even better place to live, and this is why we need to invest in residential amenities which are easy to access and close to where people live,” said Carey.

“That is why our State Government has today committed to build a new city primary school in the heart of East Perth, with the preferred location of Queens Gardens car park on Plain Street, opposite the WACA grounds.”

Along with increased inner-city amenities, the McGowan Government cited a need to alleviate some pressure off Highgate Primary School, which has seen increased growth and demand in recent years.

“The advice from the Department of Education is that this preferred site will deliver a new primary school in the fastest time frame. It also offers opportunities for future students to benefit from world-class nearby facilities such as those that are part of the WACA redevelopment.”

Mr Carey said the process of finding the new location had been a difficult one thanks to the complex blend of ground conditions, traffic management and finding a suitably sized area in the city.

Mr Carey said the government will be working with the City of Perth on the location, and by unlocking the Queens Park car parks (currently restricted by legislation only for carparks) an estimated “$27 million economic windfall” will be created for the City of Perth and its ratepayers.

The proposal is targeting a 2028 open date for students from kindergarten up to Year 6, servicing families living in Northbridge, Perth and East Perth.

Part of today’s announcement included $1.4 million in funding to progress technical studies on the favoured site, along with continued work on “interim solutions to enrolment pressures at Highgate Primary School, prior to the new school opening.”

Image Credit: Supplied.