ET Australia Secondary College has released a response to issues raised in submissions regarding its planned relocation to two sites from next year.
The college plans to relocate to 125 Donnison St and the Imperial Centre, with its current site at 123 Donnison St set to be demolished early next year to make way for a regional library.
The proposal would see Year 7-10 students relocated to a rented site in the Imperial Centre and an expanded arm, catering for up to 31 places for Year 11 and 12 students, to be housed upstairs in a building at 125 Donnison St, which already contains ET Australia’s Adult Training College on its lower level.
The $2.8M project is expected to generate 26 full time construction jobs and an additional 14 full time employees upon completion.
A total of 10 submissions were received, including five from private organisation submissions, four public authority agency submissions, and one community submission.
Few objections were raised by private organisations, with Options Disability Support, Parkside Gosford, Gosford Uniting Church, Regional Youth Support Services and the Lederer Group offering support for the project.
A submission from a nearby resident raised concerns over the use of the food court and other shopping facilities in the Imperial Centre by students during school hours and suggested students should remain on school grounds.
But the applicant replied that it was unreasonable to restrict students from the use of facilities used daily by the public during recess and lunch breaks and said staff would supervise students during breaks.
Several concerns were raised by the Department itself and other government bodies, including minimal access to natural light and ventilation for students during the day.
The applicant replied that the site at 125 Donnison St has teaching spaces located near the external perimeter of the building, with direct access to natural daylight and ventilation.
Areas of the floor plate which do not have an external elevation and windows are limited to internalised circulation, service zones and amenities.
Natural ventilation is provided to the teaching areas and balanced with the existing mechanical system.
The applicant acknowledged the Imperial Centre site requires further works to address the which could involve minor construction works.
All areas and teaching spaces, across both sites, have been reviewed by the certifier and satisfy NCC compliance requirements for natural daylight and ventilation, the applicant’s response said.
In reply to concerns over lack of open space the applicant said the school has direct external access to nearby Kibble Park for outdoor education and breaks from both sites.
It said students have used Kibble Park on a daily basis for the past eight years during recess and lunch and the arrangement would continue.
Break times would be staggered to limit the number of students in the park at any one time.
Some concerns were raised over car parking, with the applicant advising that it would be provided 12 reserved spaces in the Imperial Centre as part of the lease, with additional parking available on upper levels of the centre.
Terry Collins