By Luke Voogt
Oberon High School will relocate to the growth area of Armstrong Creek by 2018 following a State Government announcement this week.
Education Minister James Merlino and Geelong MP Christine Couzens visited the proposed site on Wednesday.
Mr Merlino said the move would help the Government “meet the growing demand for local secondary schools in the area.”
He said the Government would keep families informed and support them during the relocation.
Ms Couzens said the new school would replace the existing high school’s “out-dated 1960s” classrooms.
“Parents can now confidently enrol their kids at Oberon High School knowing its long-term future is secure,” she said.
The announcement came after a review into secondary school provision in Geelong’s south, which the Victorian School Building Authority released the same day.
It investigated enrolment demand for existing local government secondary schools in Geelong’s south, including Belmont High School, Oberon High School and Grovedale College.
According to the review, Armstrong Creek will boom over the next 20 years with an extra 7000 school-age residents living in the area by 2036.
The site will become home to a new P-6 primary school and P-12 special school, which will open in 2018.
However South Barwon MP Andrew Katos questioned the Government’s decision to close Oberon High School.
“You could probably build a new school on the existing site for much less cost,” he said
While Armstrong Creek had a definite need for a school, closing Oberon would put pressure on surrounding schools, the Liberal MP said.
He said Belmont High School, which was close to capacity, would need further investment to keep up with demand as a result of the move.
Mr Merlino and Ms Couzens also visited Roslyn Primary School as work began on a $2.186 million redevelopment of its facilities.
The redevelopment will include a new main classroom wing, administration facilities and a multipurpose space.
“This is an exciting day for the Belmont community,” Ms Couzens said.
“It’s exciting to see work get underway on a new learning and administrative facility for the school.”
However Mr Katos said the Government was taking credit for Coalition funding.
The previous Government had made funding available for the project in its 2014-15 budget, he said.
“The students at Roslyn primary have had to wait two and a half years for James Merlino and Christine Couzens to do something with that money.”
