Families in Box Hill will be able to send their children to a local public school earlier than expected from Day 1, Term 1 this year, after a mammoth effort to stand up the new Box Hill Public School in temporary facilities while a permanent school is built.
Stage 1 of the Development Application for the new temporary Box Hill Public School was approved just 7 weeks ago, paving the way for works to start.
Since then, more than 70 construction contractors have been working seven days a week over the recent Christmas holidays to get the primary school ready in time for Day 1, Term 1.
They have pulled out all the stops, working through wet weather conditions, to ensure local children have a local school to go to when the holidays wind up next week. Taking just under two months, it is the fastest a temporary school has ever been stood up.
The opening comes just seven months after the Minns Labor Government announced it would deliver a new primary and high school in Box Hill in 2028, in addition to the new primary school in neighbouring Gables which will open in 2027.
Families campaigned to prioritise the opening of a school in Box Hill after the Liberal National government delivered nothing despite the suburb's rapid growth.
Last year Liberal MP Robyn Preston told the media she didn't have an answer as to why the former Liberal government did not deliver a school in Box Hill in their 12 years in government.
The enrolment growth audit, a Labor election commitment completed in 2024, identified the Box Hill-Nelson area as sixth in the state for student enrolment growth, which from 2018 to 2023 exploded by over 1000 per cent as dwellings over the same period grew by 417 per cent.
The Minns Labor Government listened to families, sending the project into full gear to get the school operational in record time to meet local need.
With wet weather forecast over summer, drainage works were completed at the site early-on, which allowed construction to continue without delay once the DA was granted.
Just days out from the start of the school year, finishing touches are being put on the brand new temporary school, which will have 14 classrooms, two administration buildings, a library, a Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA), toilets, and a canteen.
The new primary school will initially cater for 300 students from Kindergarten to Year 2 - with capacity expanded to 600 students from Kindergarten to Year 6 by Term 3 when Stage 2 works to deliver an additional 10 classrooms and further facilities are complete.
Turf will also be laid on the sports field ready for use later in Term 1.
Box Hill Public School is one of two temporary schools opening on D1T1 as an urgent stop gap measure to cater for growing suburbs which were left without schools in Sydney's west - with Gledswood Hills High School also opening early to Year 7 students in temporary facilities on Day 1 of this school year.
Temporary facilities have enabled the Minns Labor Government to fast-track a number of other schools in the growing North West after the former Liberal government's failures to properly plan for these growing suburbs. Nirimba Fields Public School, Tallawong Public School, and Melonba High School all opened in 2024 as a stop-gap to get kids into local classrooms while their permanent facilities are built.
As part of the NSW Government's plan to rebuild public education, the 2024-25 Budget is delivering record education funding, including $3.6 billion for new and upgraded schools in Western Sydney. This targeted investment will ensure growing communities get access to a world class public education.
Box Hill Public School will transition into permanent facilities at Terry Road, Box Hill, by Day 1, Term 1, in 2028.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:
"The Minns Labor Government has thrown its weight behind getting this school up and ready to ensure families in Box Hill, who waited far too long under the former Liberal government, don't have to wait another day to send their children to a local school.
"The fast-tracking of this school while we build the permanent facilities shows just how dedicated we are to breaking the infrastructure backlog in rapidly-growing communities like Box Hill, where the Liberals failed to build schools despite the huge number of young families moving in.
"We have gone from announcing this school to opening it just seven months later - while the construction of the temporary facilities went from DA to being ready for day one in just seven weeks. I am proud and grateful to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen.
"Labor is building better communities and caring for working families in Western Sydney's growing suburbs by ensuring they have access to the high quality public preschool, primary school and high school facilities that they deserve."
