Please note: Images from CCTV footage are available from Monaro Police District social media page Police are appealing for assistance as investigations continue into an alleged armed robbery in the state's south police were called to a licensed premises on Limestone Drive following reports of an alleged armed robbery Officers attached to Monaro Police District were told two unknown men entered the premises before one of them threatened staff and a customer with a firearm and left in a white Mitsubishi Ute with ACT registration YFH37H There were no items stolen from the location and no injuries reported Inquiries revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen from the Tralee area on Monday 31 March 2025 A crime scene was established and further resources including officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and ACT Police police would like to speak with two men who may be able to assist with the investigation One man is described as being of large build He was last seen wearing a blue hooded jumper and brown pants The other is described as being of medium build He was last seen wearing a grey hooded jumper and dark grey pants with a black backpack is urged to call Monaro Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAt a meeting with unhappy neighbours of the "Poplars Club Development" planners involved with the $36 million Vikings project said there would be more trees shutting off the view of the club from the houses The height of a boundary wall would also be raised from the original two metres to three metres The Vikings consultants at the meeting on Thursday night also said that customers would stop being served earlier than previously proposed Doors to the outside would automatically close so that noise would be kept indoors down from the original 160 to from 60 to 80 in the early stages of club - though that number could rise towards 160 as the area developed and population grew The representatives of the Vikings Group said they would look at ways of shielding club members from the sight of poker machines from entrances and from bar and restaurant areas There would also be an amended "alcohol plan of management" though it wasn't clear exactly what that meant entailed People at the meeting were not satisfied with the answers president of the Jerrabomberra Residents' Association It should not go up against people's homes." She was unhappy that the Vikings "hierarchy" was not at the meeting Robert Wilson and Anna Murton object to the new Vikings club to be built across the road Picture by Sitthixay DitthavongThe capacity of the proposed club was 1300 people but the representatives of the Vikings Group reckoned that on a normal night there would be about 200 to 300 people there would be finished in or near 2027 if the application was approved with an additional storey on top plus outdoor dining and drinking areas The new club was being proposed just over the NSW border because of the restrictions on pokies in the ACT the club's chief executive said when it was first mooted "It's been death by a thousand cuts in Canberra. There hasn't been any growth. Our costs have risen dramatically, and revenue does not keep pace, so our profitability is virtually non-existent," Vikings chief executive Anthony Hill said last year An artist's impression of the new club Picture supplied"If we want to grow our core business We've got approximately 10,000 members over the border." Mr Hill also blamed the ACT's "cumbersome" planning system for pushing clubs to look elsewhere The Vikings Group is one of the biggest clubs organisations in the ACT with four venues (Chisholm Just before the pandemic (when the last figures were published by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission) the four Vikings clubs had 540 gaming machines those losses by patrons rose to $24,350,687 despite the ACT government's policy of cutting the number of poker machines to reduce "gambling harm" The issue of poker machines in the ACT came into focus after the suicide of Raimo "Ray" Kasurinen who took his own life after gambling heavily on machines at the Hellenic Club The Hellenic Club has been fined $1.2 million for breaking gambling rules in the way it treated Mr Kasurinen and his widow The club is appealing against the decision Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues." Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. Don't miss updates on news about the Public Service. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. The latest news, results & expert analysis. Your exclusive preview of David Pope's latest cartoon. Join our weekly poll for Canberra Times readers. We've selected the best reading for your weekend. Get the latest property and development news here. Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. Sharp. 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Fresh daily! and the ultimate holding company as Brookfield Asset Management Inc.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to the application the single-storey facility would operate around the clock and have a total power consumption of 25.4 megawatts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe project design includes ancillary office space carparking and civil infrastructure works and has a gross floor area of 5826 square metres.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe development would be staged—the first is slated to deliver two data halls followed by additional data halls in subsequent stages.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to the application “the proposed data centre would provide significant social and economic benefits for the Queanbeyan-Palerang LGA and the wider Canberra region” and “the generation of high technology jobs and high technology service opportunities”.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDCI Data Centers is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management with a “management team [that] has experience in the design and management of over 500,000sq m of data centre and technology real estate worldwide” the environmental impact statement said.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe proposal includes several sustainability initiatives such as high-efficiency air-cooling systems energy-efficient LED lighting with motion sensors building envelope design using insulation and high-performance glazing the developer said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe main construction phase for the first stage is expected to last 12 to 18 months and subsequent stages about six months each.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce complete the facility would comprise five data halls and internal plant and service areas for a total building area of about 7078 square metres.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe DCI Poplars project joins a wave of major data centre developments across NSW.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Cushman \u0026amp; Wakefield Sydney ranks third for operational capacity in the Asia-Pacific region at 1.3gW behind mainland China (4.5gW) and Japan (1.5gW).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOther significant projects in the pipeline include \u003ca href=\"https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/stockland-data-centre-macquarie-park-mpark\" data-mce-href=\"https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/stockland-data-centre-macquarie-park-mpark\"\u003eStockland’s $718-million MPark Talavera Road data centre\u003c/a\u003e at Macquarie Park designed by data centre specialists Greenbox Architects with a capacity of 76.4 megawatts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmazon is developing a two-storey data centre at Gregory Hills with 53-megawatt capacity and 12 data halls Lendlease’s third residential building in the Collins Wharf precinct of Victoria Harbour.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 28-storey building at 971 Collins Street in Melbourne’s Docklands will deliver 312 homes in a mix of one two and three-bedroom apartments as well as townhouses and penthouses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Lendlease the project has already secured more than 50 per cent in presales.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHickory is the construction contractor—it completed the precinct’s first development in 2019 and is also working on LendLease’s second tower Regatta.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Ancora Hickory is implementing several technical construction methods including various piling techniques and precast concrete solutions that enable a parallel-track construction program.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe building’s facade designed by architect Warren and Mahoney uses a three-stage design incorporating double-glazed glass and textured precast concrete with Reckli and brick finishes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe structural design transitions from a solid podium base to lighter upper levels “reflecting a maritime theme” aligned with the Collins Wharf design objectives.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAncora will connect to the neighbouring Regatta development via a podium allowing resident access to shared amenities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesigned as an all-electric building that includes electric vehicle infrastructure the development is targeting a 5 Star Green Star certification Completion is expected in 2027.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegatta including build-to-rent and build-to-sell units.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eExtensive wharf works including remediation of pre-existing wharf piles installation of raker piles and construction of the extension to Australia Walk are also part of the project.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTechnical challenges include constructing on the finger wharf and co-ordinating extensive above-wharf road reserve and public parkland works.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Collins Wharf precinct will ultimately comprise six residential buildings of more than 1800 homes surrounded by over 5000sq m of parks and community space.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLendlease is developing the parkland concurrently with the residential components including the extension of Australian Walk that forms part of the City of Melbourne’s Greenline project.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLendlease executive director of development Adam Williams said Collins Wharf “is fast becoming a sought-after address .. which took just a handful of hours to emerge on Saturday night the Coalition’s failure to sway voters has come under intense scrutiny.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIts lack of policies around property that resonated with voters has been a large part of that criticism.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmong those policies was a $5-billion infrastructure program to unlock up to 500,000 new homes was greeted with no small amount of scepticism.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Coalition also campaigned on its previously revealed plan to allow first home buyers to draw down on their superannuation giving access to up to $50,000 to help fund mortgage deposits.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile that proposal had won some support it got the thumbs down from many of Australia’s top economists who said the measure could prove highly inflationary among other issues.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilarly its plan to allow mortgage interest for first home buyers to be tax-deductible was roundly criticised for its likely inflationary and regressive effects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt has also been pointed out that the Coalition’s rejection of the Green’s policies around housing supply affordable housing and help for renters did it no favours.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ALP went to the polls spruiking an extension of schemes introduced during its previous term including a $10-billion promise for its first-home buyers’ scheme to encourage 100,000 more homes.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt also had its Help to Buy shared equity scheme under which the Government pays up to 40 per cent of the house price to point to.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf it was these policies per se or the lack of detail and depth to the Coalition’s the nation's ready for the Albanese government to act.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is clear been endorsed to follow through on its policies and fix the crisis that is crippling the Australian property sector.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Urban Taskforce Australia chief executive\u0026nbsp;Tom\u0026nbsp;Forrest has pointed out it is time for the Federal Government to get back to work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Housing affordability and housing supply featured large during the campaign,” Forrest said.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The key now is for the Government to strike while the iron’s hot.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“If legislation is needed to support the delivery of Labor’s $10-billion 100,000 new homes commitment—then pass it through the parliament now and get on with it.”\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe states have made many changes to how they enable home development The Federal Government’s support of that is crucial to its success material supply assistance or any other factor that affects getting homes out of the ground.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis has been a pivotal election Then Cities for Total Fan Immersion\",\"slug\":\"billionaire-arsenal-rams-denver-nuggets-sports-anchored-precincts\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-30T00:00+10:00\",\"tags\":[],\"summary\":\"Why your next home might be stadium-adjacent; sports are the hook The plan is on public exhibition through the NSW State Significant Development pathway The DCI Poplars Data Centre Project is proposed for 2 Wolseley Place at Jerrabomberra and would help service the Poplars Innovation Precinct The Trustee for NineZero DC Sub Trust I has submitted plans for the $279-million development for the site 5km south-west of the Queanbeyan town centre in NSW and 800m from the ACT border ASIC lists the directors of NineZero DC Sub Trust I as Felix Chih-Wai Chan and the ultimate holding company as Brookfield Asset Management Inc the single-storey facility would operate around the clock and have a total power consumption of 25.4 megawatts The project design includes ancillary office space carparking and civil infrastructure works and has a gross floor area of 5826 square metres The development would be staged—the first is slated to deliver two data halls followed by additional data halls in subsequent stages and high technology service opportunities” The proposal includes several sustainability initiatives such as high-efficiency air-cooling systems and nominal 50kW roof-mounted solar photovoltaics Rainwater harvesting is also planned for onsite irrigation and toilet flushing The main construction phase for the first stage is expected to last 12 to 18 months and subsequent stages about six months each and internal plant and service areas for a total building area of about 7078 square metres The DCI Poplars project joins a wave of major data centre developments across NSW behind mainland China (4.5gW) and Japan (1.5gW) Other significant projects in the pipeline include Stockland’s $718-million MPark Talavera Road data centre at Macquarie Park designed by data centre specialists Greenbox Architects with a capacity of 76.4 megawatts Amazon is developing a two-storey data centre at Gregory Hills with 53-megawatt capacity and 12 data halls while Goodman is planning a $1.4-billion conversion of ABC’s former studios on Sydney’s North Shore into a data centre Jerrabomberra plan was first announced in 2022 with the developer planning increased capacity for the site wants to construct a 25.4MW data center at 2 Wolsley Way It will form part of the Poplars Innovation Precinct Plans for the data center were first announced in 2022 DCI said it would be a 20MW facility and hoped to have it up and running by 2024 Now a planning application for a 5,826 sqm (62,710 sq ft) data center has been submitted, according to a report from The Urban Developer A public exhibition showcasing the plans has also been launched The data center will feature solar panels capable of generating 50kW and will utilize rainwater harvesting to recover water for use on the site DCI is also planning diesel backup generators for the site DCD has contacted the firm for further details DCI now has more than 10 data center sites with 130MW of IT capacity in development across the APAC region In December, it opened a 4MW facility in Adelaide Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia 10 years have gone since you were taken from us so suddenly. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced The best local news sent straight to your inbox every workday Make a donation and support the future of journalism and media diversity in the ACT A woman is dead after being hit by a utility in Jerrabomberra on Sunday morning NSW Police say emergency services were called to Bicentennial Drive at about 8.15am but the 48-year-old woman had already died at the scene after being struck by a silver Nissan Navara utility Police believe that the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle – a 54-year-old woman – had also allegedly hit a white Toyota Hilux parked at the scene The driver was taken to Canberra Hospital with minor injuries where she would also undergo mandatory testing A crime scene has been established and will be examined by officers from the Crash Investigation Unit Anyone with information or dashcam/mobile phone footage is urged to contact Queanbeyan Police Station or call 1800 333000 there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free Become a supporter Two wanted men, 21-year-old Jamie Barry and 29-year-old Elliot Smith-Benzie are urgently being sought by police.  Jamal Fogarty has opened up on informing coach Ricky Stuart he would be leaving Canberra to accept a lucrative contract at Manly for 2026. Labor will move to cut student debt as its first re-election priority with the prime minister claiming a mandate to press forward with housing reform. Make a donation and support the future of journalism and media diversity in the ACT. Get CityNews in your inbox. Daily. The best local news sent straight to your inbox every workday! Poplars at Jerrabomberra is set to offer the Capital region a new hub for economic development with the latest a business park has to offer If you check the box above before you log in you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return even if you close your browser and come back later Poplars is the newest business precinct for the Canberra/Queanbeyan region This development is located at Tompsitt Drive Jerrabomberra NSW immediately adjacent to the ACT/NSW border it is within a 10 minute drive to Canberra airport 15 minutes to Russell Offices (Department of Defence) and 20 minutes to the Canberra CBD Poplars comprises a 35Ha Innovation Precinct and 10 Ha Retail + Services Precinct The broader site will also include a Learning Precinct with a new STEM high school and Queanbeyan Palerang councils' (QPRC) Innovation Hub The Hub aims to be an incubator for start-ups and emerging businesses thereby forming a pathway between education and industry The project has been over ten years in the making and brings together the experience of the Riverview and Goodwin & Kenyon Groups Chris Daly said “the development has received very strong support from local and state governments with progress well exceeding initial expectations The first phase of the project involved Stage 1 of the retail centre with a number of operators already trading and an Aldi supermarket and 7-Eleven service station to open shortly The focus has now moved to the business park with the latest activity on site triggering a heightened interest in the area Ultimately we envisage the site will provide an integrated employment centre for over 5,000 people” The business park aims to provide a campus style setting which will inspire innovation from a cluster of like minded organisations cyber-security and high-tech manufacturing businesses are the focus for the Innovation Precinct The development will offer a unique opportunity for the region with the combination of business park and retail centre at the one site The development is registered for a Green Star Community Pilot rating with the Green Building Council of Australia targeting 5 green stars Environmental initiatives will include a support agreement with the Wandyali Conservation Trust for land management education programs and research at the adjacent Poplars Grassland Reserve Construction is scheduled to start shortly on the spine road through the Innovation Precinct, which will ultimately link to QPRC’s Regional Sports Complex and the new South Jerrabomberra residential area. Stage 1 of the business park is expected to commence later in 2020. Further information can be obtained from the Poplars website at www.Poplars.com.au Go to poplars.com.au for more information or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your interest Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueResidents near the proposed club with an estimated 150 poker machines said it could lead to a rise in domestic violence They were speaking at a public meeting in Queanbeyan of the Southern Regional Planning Panel the NSW body which will decide the matter after a recommendation by the local council "There are young family's homes only 50 metres away from the proposed outdoor beer and smoking deck," Antje Wilson said She said that "gambling and alcohol are a risky combination" so she worried that a closing time of 3am would lead to disturbances The president of the Jerrabomberra Residents' Association voiced a string of concerns: "We do not support the current development application for the Vikings Club at Jerrabomberra because: She said there would be 800 patrons of the club on weekdays and 1100 from Thursday to Saturday and that would destroy the life of a residential community Residents opposed to the new Vikings club in Jerrabombera gather outside the public hearing Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong"A building three storeys tall would exceed the 12-metre hieight limit for the area," she said "There is clear evidence that poker machines induce problem gambling and that they make money for the clubs at the expense of vulnerable members of our community "Gambling can bring about domestic violence and has a generational impact on families." Resident Gabrielle Sutton feared "alcohol-fueled violence" because of the size of the proposed club in a residential area Perhaps the most powerful argument came from a resident who said he had been a member of a Vikings Club and had been "evicted" occasionally at 2am "I would very much welcome the jobs in the area But he added that the proposed club was too close to homes When I'm kicked out at 2am and I'm loud and enthusiastic He said the public had been given far too little information about the proposal "so reject it" he urged the decision-making panel Several residents said the information from Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council had been inadequate and sometimes gave a false impression of the proposed development The chairman of the decision-making committee The council had been asked to provide more details There would be another public meeting before a decision was made the Vikings organization said the move over the border was because of the restrictions and difficulties the club felt it faced as the ACT government wrestles with how to clamp down on poker machines "It's been death by 1000 cuts in Canberra. There hasn't been any growth. Our costs have risen dramatically, and revenue does not keep pace, so our profitability is virtually non-existent," Vikings chief executive Anthony Hill said. Picture suppliedJust before the pandemic (when the last figures were published by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission) those losses by patrons rose to $24,350,687 despite the ACT government's policy of cutting the number of poker machines to reduce "gambling harm" when people become addicted to pokies Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueHarvest Hotels which operates more than a dozen pubs in NSW and South Australia Industry sources indicate the company paid about $25 million for the family-run hotel the pub sits on about 2800 square metres of land opposite the Jerrabomberra Village shopping centre The Jerrabomberra Hotel was previously owned and run by a local family The Jerrabomberra Hotel has sold for about $25 million Picture suppliedHarvest Hotels founder and managing director Chris Cornforth said the group had been shopping around Queanbeyan for several years "We've previously owned and operated in pubs in the nearby community of Yass so are well acquainted with the broader region and in meeting all our required demographic metrics Queanbeyan has been a target area of ours for a long time," he said The sale was brokered by HTL Property's Daniel Dragicevich and Sam Handy Mr Handy said the Jerrabomberra Hotel had all the features that "astute purchasers are drawn to" high foot traffic positioning and ample parking are strategic trading cornerstones which enable successful trading longevity," he said It was the first purchase under the newly merged Harvest Pub Fund which includes eight of the group's NSW pubs Harvest Hotels is looking to acquire underdeveloped pubs that have the potential to provide strong returns to investors Mr Cornforth said The Jerra fit the "Harvest mould well" He said the group would launch a loyalty program and bring its partnerships program to the Queanbeyan community The Harvest Hotels portfolio includes the Milestone Hotel in Dubbo the William Farrer Hotel in Wagga Wagga and Brady's Railway Hotel in Albury Pub sales in the Canberra and Queanbeyan region have been few and far between in recent years Most recently, the Kambah Inn sold for about $3 million to a local buyer The new owner has recently completed a significant refurbishment at the pub In 2022, a Newcastle publican snapped up the Tourist Hotel in Queanbeyan for about $14 million There are also plans under way for a brand-new $25 million hotel and function venue in Googong town centre Brittney is part of the federal political bureau, covering politics, the public service and economics. Brittney joined The Canberra Times in 2021 and was previously the property reporter. Got a news tip? Get in touch: brittney.levinson@canberratimes.com.au Avarie Wellfare and Charlie Win with Member for Monaro Nichole Overall and principal Scott OHara Picture: Keegan CarrollConstruction on a new $57 million high school at Jerrabomberra will get under way next week but the first cohort of students will be learning in temporary classrooms Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe highly-anticipated Jerrabomberra High School will have 25 flexible learning spaces to support up to 500 students The NSW government is planning to fast-track the construction of the school by using pre-fabricated components that are quickly assembled on site Scott O'Hara has been appointed the inaugural principal of the high school Year 7 and 8 will able to enrol in 2023 but they will be learning in temporary buildings at the Jerrabomberra Public School site No timeframe has been given for the completion of the project but member for Monaro Nichole Overall said she would be pushing to get it finished as quickly as possible "I know how excited parents and students are to see this project commencing and to know they will have this brand new facility in their neighbourhood is an incredible accomplishment achieved through the hard work and advocacy of so many," Mrs Overall said "The modern methods of construction employed at Jerrabomberra mean this build will happen much quicker than a standard construction in just a matter of months is really quite incredible." Jerrabomberra High School Parents and Citizen's Association president Nathan Lozberis said the students and families were filled with excitement to see construction on the school start It comes after the Jerrabomberra community campaigned to overturn an enrolment zone decision which would have excluded residents of Jerrabomberra Heights from the new school "It was a real rallying cry for the whole community," Mr Lozberis said "The kids that go to the primary school together will now be able to go the high school together." Mr Lozberis said the new P&C was hoping to support the new school in the best way it could Sarah covers all stages of education in the capital, from early childhood to higher education. Previously she was a general news reporter at The Advocate in North West Tasmania. She was named Best New Journalist at the 2019 Tasmanian Media Awards for a series on paramedic shortages. Email: sarah.lansdown@canberratimes.com.au Plans have been lodged for a new high school in Jerrabomberra to accommodate around 500 students and meet the growing needs of the community Nationals Minister for Regional Youth Bronnie Taylor Nationals Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell and Nationals Member for Monaro John Barilaro were in Jerrabomberra today at the site of the new high school to announce the State Significant Development application has now been lodged with the Department of Planning “This moves us another step closer to getting shovels in the ground and having this new high school ready for students to sit down in brand new classrooms from day one “Investment in new school infrastructure is part of our vision for a safer stronger regional NSW and ensuring families have access to the educational facilities they deserve.” Minister Mitchell said the new school would deliver state-of-the-art facilities for the local region “We know how important schools are to local communities and this investment will deliver benefits not just for our students but for the entire region,” Ms Mitchell said “Using the latest building technology we will be able to construct high quality schools faster than ever before This involves creating the majority of the building off-site then assembling it on the school site.” The new school will include 25 learning spaces a new covered outdoor learning area (COLA) sports courts and administrative facilities Nationals Member for Monaro John Barilaro said the new high school in Jerrabomberra would serve the region for years to come “This school will be a game changer for the local community and I am so proud to be delivering on my promise to the students of Jerrabomberra,” Mr Barilaro said “When the NSW Nationals make a commitment to the community we always follow through This school will benefit students for generations to come and ensure our kids can live “I can’t wait to see students sitting down in classrooms in this new high school on day one The 4.5 hectare site will initially cater for up to 500 students with the school set to grow as the region continues to expand The SSD application is currently on public exhibition and will close on 9 December visit:  www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/42416 The community can also visit a virtual information room at www.schoolinfrastrucutre.nsw.gov/project/n/new-high-school-in-jerrabomberra.html  to learn more about the project The virtual information room will be live from 9 am Wednesday 24 November 2021 to 5 pm Tuesday 30 November 2021 The NSW Government is investing $7.9 billion over the next four years continuing its program to deliver 215 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW Privacy Policy CHANGES to school enrolment boundaries in the Queanbeyan suburb of Jerrabomberra have angered some local residents A recent zone shuffle by the NSW Department of Education means that students living north of Edwin Land Parkway are unable to enrol at the Jerrabomberra Public School and the soon to be built Jerrabomberra High School The changes – announced last week – will split the suburb in two with families in the  “heights and north terrace” areas of Jerrabomberra needing to look to Queanbeyan for schooling options have come as a shock to some local residents who have taken to Facebook to express their concerns “This is beyond messed up,” Tracey Howard wrote on a community forum page “Jerra families on one side of Ellerton now can’t go to Jerra or Jerra High so kids that are in Jerra Primary School with their mates can’t go to high school with them.” “This is so dumb…parts of Jerra not having access to the primary or high school is just ridiculous,” posted Frankie Whellum Nichole Overall acknowledged that the changes have caused “concern and anxiety” within the community The newly minted MP said the boundaries can be re-worked and are being currently reviewed “I have again spoken directly with the Minister for Education given some information that continues to circulate about our local schools and which is causing concern and anxiety,” Ms Overall said “With the full support of the NSW Education Minister the proposed changes are being reviewed for re-working for an outcome that will be to the community’s satisfaction “I want to achieve workable solutions in the best interests of our residents and that’s what I’ll continue to advocate for.” but a decision has yet to be made on the intake boundaries for the new Jerrabomberra High School "I've spent the last three weeks endeavouring to do everything I can virtually every single day taking it straight to the Minister Sarah Mitchell who has supported me in this," Ms Overall said "I wasn't aware of the proposed boundary changes before they became public I immediately addressed this because I knew the concern and anxiety that it was going to cause in our community." The NSW Department of Education suddenly announced that Jerrabomberra residents living north of Edwin Land Parkway would be excluded from the existing primary school and new high school from 2023 Jerrabomberra Public School P&C president Kylie Prescott said the backdown on the primary school enrolment zone was welcome but it felt like they were "back to square one" And now we've got half the community zoned into the high school and half not," Ms Prescott said "Our message to the government and the decision makers is zone Jerra to Jerrabomberra schools our families were offered a high school and we expect all families in Jerrabomberra to be able to access that high school." The decision could put more pressure on the Jerrabomberra Public School which already has more than 900 students and 15 demountable buildings on site Ms Prescott said parents were concerned that the first stage of the Jerrabomberra High School would only accommodate 500 students and called on the government to release the master plan for the school "It has taken us 20 years to get this high school built I hope it doesn't take us another 20 years to have the school extended to stage two to accommodate those 1000 students," she said Member for Monaro Nichole Overall said the consultation process for school enrolment area changes would be improved Picture: Sarah LansdownMs Overall said she would organise a community meeting with officials from the department present to hear the residents' concerns about the new high school She said she had raised the issues of school capacity in the area with the Education Minister Sarah Mitchell including the need for a new primary school in South Jerrabomberra in the future inevitably at this point in time [for] more demountables that are going to be added to the primary school to be able to deal with demand "But we also need to be looking forward for the longer term future of this of this area given the growth that we're experiencing that we're going to continue to experience and what that means for the future." Ms Overall said the department would be making changes to the consultation process to avoid similar problems in the future Our journalists work hard to provide local This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: Picture: Sitthixay DittahavongThe NSW government may be forced to back down over a shock decision to change school enrolment zones in Jerrabomberra Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueResidents learnt at the end of last week that families living north of Edwin Land Parkway would not be able to enrol in Jerrabomberra Public School next year if they were not already enrolled or didn't already have a sibling at the school the students would have to be enrolled in Queanbeyan South Public School would also not be able to enrol in the new Jerrabomberra High School Jerrabomberra Public School Parents and Citizens Association president Kylie Prescott said the community was shocked and surprised at the announcement "It feels like we've been cut off at the knees," she said Jessica Perkins was going to keep her daughter in preschool for another year but instead decided to enrol her late to get into her preferred school "It was completely devastating for our family We were very overwhelmed," Ms Perkins said "We were faced with a lot of difficult decisions to make in a very short amount of time." Ms Perkins can see the new high school being built but with the new enrolment zone her daughter wouldn't be allowed to attend Enrolments at Jerrabomberra Public School are booming with about 940 students enrolled this year The school already has about 15 demountable classrooms installed on what used to be its oval Jerrabomberra Public School has 15 demountable classrooms to cope with its population of about 940 students Picture: Sitthixay DitthavongThe new high school Jerrabomberra Residents Association president Margot Sachse said people had bought houses in the area - where prices are often above $1 million - specifically to send their children to these schools whoever made this decision was in Sydney and had not a clue about our community and .. the decision they made reflects that," Ms Sachse said She said the community had lobbied many years for the high school but it was not going to meet the needs of the area which has amount of Defence Force families Residents quickly mobilised after the announcement sending letters to their state and local representatives A Department of Education spokesperson said the new boundaries were developed in consultation with school leadership teams local principals and the changing demographic data collected The recently elected state member for Monaro Ms Overall said in a statement on Tuesday that consultation on the school zones for Jerrabomberra Bungendore and Googong had begun after conversations with Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and the NSW Department of Education all matters raised will be considered in as timely a manner as possible after which I will hold a public meeting to further engage with the community on the outcomes," Ms Overall said NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said Ms Overall had been proactive in raising concerns on behalf of the community "Every child has a right to access a public school School catchments allow us to spread the population across the existing schools in the area," Ms Mitchell said "I have asked the department to reengage with the community to find a suitable solution An online survey is now available for families to provide feedback and I would encourage them to have their say." 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