- Legislation to repeal Chevron-Hilton Hotel Agreement Act 1960to be introduced to Parliament
- New inner-city primary school to be built at Queens Gardens Car Park in East Perth
- Largest investment by the State Government in a primary school in WA history
- Project definition planning underway for new state-of-the-art school
Families in the inner city are set to benefit from a new state-of-the-art primary school in East Perth.
The City of Perth is currently the only metropolitan local government area without a public school and the new primary school will ensure families living in the inner city will have access to outstanding public education facilities close to home.
Under the Chevron-Hilton Hotel Agreement Act, the Queens Gardens Car Park land can only be used as a car park. Legislation, to be introduced this week, will repeal the Chevron-Hilton Hotel Agreement Actand provide land to the State Government for the construction of a new primary school on the site.
The legislation will also unlock a parcel of the Queens Gardens Car Park site to be retained by the City of Perth and clear the way for future housing. The land retained by the City, once unencumbered by legislation passing, is estimated to be more than $27 million.
In addition, the State will also pay the City an amount of $4.2 million, in recognition of the forgone car parking revenue for the area of land required for the school during construction.
The payment is made to assist the City in preparing the site adjacent to the school for residential development opportunities - increasing housing in the City of Perth.
Overall, it is expected the land acquisition, repeal of the Chevron-Hilton Hotel Agreement Act, and the Cook Labor Government's investment in a new school, will contribute economic benefits of more than $60 million to the City of Perth, along with a broad range of social and educational benefits to the East Perth community.
The primary school will provide the necessary educational infrastructure to ensure the City of Perth's population targets can be supported and the associated redevelopment is also expected to provide an ongoing uplift in rate revenue for the City.
The new East Perth Primary School is now expected to open for the 2029 school year - which is now delayed due to the City of Perth's decision to block the school, after originally supporting it.
The new school will ease pressure on Highgate Primary School and other schools surrounding Perth's city centre into the future.
As stated by Education Minister Dr Tony Buti:
"This is a great result for families living in our inner city.
"The City of Perth has requested successive governments over several decades to repeal the Chevron Act and terminate the State Agreement, none of which have progressed until now.
"A new primary school is the ideal catalyst for this to happen.
"As Education Minister, my priority is ensuring young people, and their families have access to a great public education close to home and this new primary school will offer that for people in our capital city."
Comments attributed to Perth MLA John Carey:
"Our inner-city community is growing with more families choosing to live here, which is why we have committed to building a new inner-city primary school in East Perth.
"The new East Perth Primary School will be the single biggest investment in a public primary school in our State's history. We're talking a $150 million investment from the Cook Labor Government to deliver the East Perth Primary School.
"Our Government is getting on with transformative projects that encourage people to live in our city - the ECU City Campus, the WACA redevelopment, the Pier Street affordable housing development, and a state-of-the-art inner-city primary school."
