Brisbane Heritage-Listed School Closed Down To Make Way For Olympics Infrastructure
The public asks to put education first
As Brisbane gets ready for the Olympics, a Brisbane heritage-listed school is forced to close to make way for Olympics infrastructure.
Parents claim that no meaningful consultation has occurred following the East Brisbane State School (EBSS) closure announcement last Friday.
EBSS is located next to the Gabba Stadium and is heavily impacted by the rebuilding process.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The Queensland Briefing - keeping you in the loop with news as it hits:
Nicky Middleton, EBSS P&C member, said the community only knew the school was about to close when Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the announcement in the morning.
Middleton said on ABC Radio Brisbane Mornings that they were frustrated with the media release.
“Friday morning, we were sad and disappointed, and with (Education) Minister Grace’s media release, it changed to anger and frustration and that has only continued to grow,” she said.
Middleton said they had requested a meaningful consultation since the premier first decided in April 2020 with the school’s survival still uncertain.
So far, there are 315 students at EBSS, with families preparing to enrol this year.
Haline Ly, President of EBSS P&C, said the government should put education first.
“The $2.4 billion for the Gabba rebuild should be going towards building new schools, not tearing them down,” she said.
“I don’t know what Minister Grace’s idea of consultation is, but to us, that means you visit the community, you ask the community what they want, you ask what their concerns are, and you respond to their concerns.”
The relocation is still under discussion. Education Minister Grace Grace said she had met with the school “on three occasions” but could not promise anything until the relocation plan had been finalised.
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia's fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.