AT the last Wanneroo council meeting I asked what the community would gain from a proposed change of Casserley Park, Girrawheen’s planning classification from parks and recreation to private clubs and recreation to allow the sale of a large part of it for Emmanuel Christian Community School to develop a private school.
The answer I received was that the school needed it. But in the minutes from that meeting regarding that question, the response amongst other things was ‘that it was up to council to decide what the community is going to gain’.
However, I was under the impression we as ratepayers had a say in what affected us. In addition, it was said the development was just a proposal: nevertheless, the adoption of the amendment was passed and minuted.
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READ NOWWhile organising a petition of 75 residents in the immediate area on this issue, I found the few with school-aged children could mostly not afford private school fees and therefore the school was of no benefit to them.
As far as the demographics go in this area, the Education Department considered that Hainsworth Primary School amongst others in the area was no longer necessary and it was demolished to make room for public and private housing.
However, we apparently now need this new school a few hundred metres away: have things changed this quickly?
It is said the money raised by the sale of this land will be spent on the maintenance of what is left of Casserley and Hainsworth parks.
Yet I believe people mostly living outside Girrawheen can use this private school but many local people use Casserley Park now and it would be a loss to the community and the environment.
Allan Crocos, Girrawheen