Member for Leppington, Nathan Hagarty, has condemned the former Liberal/National Government following the release of an audit exposing a lack of education planning for growing suburbs.

The Enrolment Growth Audit, released today by the NSW Department of Education, is a key election commitment of the NSW Government and part of its Growth Areas Schools Plan to ensure families in fast-growing areas have timely access to high quality public schools.

The audit found that the top 10 student growth areas between 2018 and 2023, all located in Sydney’s West, collectively accounted for close to 40 per cent of all student enrolment growth in NSW.

These areas have been identified as priority growth precincts by successive NSW Governments since the mid-2000s; however, planning has failed to deliver the schools needed.

Leppington, Catherine Fields, Edmondson Park, Denham Court and Bardia were identified as examples of areas where a failure to factor in the speed of development left families without the local public schools they need.

The Leppington and Catherine Fields catchment grew 173% since 2018, while the Denham Court-Bardia Catchment grew 290%, placing them within the top 10 growth in student enrolment in NSW.

Member for Leppington, Nathan Hagarty said:

“I am shocked but not surprised by what this audit has revealed.

“Despite the huge growth in population, the previous government failed to deliver much needed schools and infrastructure.

“In just under 12 months, the Minns Labor government has set about fixing the education backlog in Leppington left by the previous Liberal/National Government.

“We have committed to upgrading 4 primary schools, converting Eagle Vale into a specialist sports high school and are building a new high school in Leppington.”

The Enrolment Growth Audit can be found here: NSW Enrolment Growth Audit

DATE: 9 FEBRUARY 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: NICHOLAS PETKOVIC | 0418 273 258