The West End State School (WESS) has experienced significant enrolment growth over recent years. Over the past 10 years, around 5000 additional students have joined Queensland state schools in and around the Brisbane CBD. This growth is set to continue with more than 3000 additional students expected to move into inner Brisbane within the next five years.
WESS currently has more than 1000 students enrolled at the school. To accommodate enrolment growth, the Queensland Government is investing in additional infrastructure to expand the educational facilities at the school. As part of the Queensland Government’s Building Future Schools Fund, which is investing more than $800 million to support new and growing communities, the WESS master plan has been developed to guide the school’s expansion. To facilitate this expansion, the Department of Education has purchased properties on Horan, Ambleside and Vulture streets, directly adjacent to the existing WESS campus.
The master plan includes the delivery of new buildings to accommodate additional enrolments and specialised teaching spaces at WESS. Key elements of the master plan include two general learning buildings, administration and resource hub, creative and performing arts, undercroft areas to provide covered space and open green spaces. To facilitate this, the plan includes demolishing properties acquired for the expansion, proposed closure of Horan Street between Ambleside and Vulture streets and for areas to be incorporated into the school grounds, providing additional outdoor space and ensuring student safety across the campus.
The project will be delivered in stages with Stage 1 completed in 2020, and Stage 2 completed in 2022. Future stages will be considered as required. Stage 1 works will commence in late-2018 with the demolition of the properties on Horan Street and progressing the detailed design work to support elements of the master plan. As part of the detailed design, a traffic management plan will be developed which will consider the location of pick up/drop off zones.
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