April 19, 2013
The purchase of a portion of Adermann Park in Kingaroy by St John’s Lutheran School is almost certain to go ahead after the school committee agreed on Wednesday evening to take up an offer for the land.
A formal offer, including terms and conditions, was made to the school recently by the land owners, the Department of Natural Resources and Mines after no objection to the sale was made by the South Burnett Regional Council.
School Principal Helen Folker told southburnett.com.au the negotiated price was within the school’s budget for this financial year, so the school committee had decided to proceed with the project.
However because the Lutheran Church was the owners of the school property, the proposal also had to be ratified by the church council. This was expected to occur next Wednesday.
The former parkland will be used as a new Junior Primary playground, which will allow the current Junior Primary playground area to be developed as a Home Economics / Science Department building with classrooms for Years 7 and 8.
A new Industrial Arts building will also be built nearby, on the school’s former long-jump pits.
The new Home Ec / Science building will be a mirror image of the school’s current “K Block”, which houses Years 6 and 7, and will face towards it, forming a precinct for senior students.
Construction of this will begin with the removal of the existing playground equipment during the June school holidays.
The new building, which is pre-fabricated, would then be sited on the area, and local businesses would be invited to quote on fitting out the interior.
“We are very excited about the outcome and very pleased to have the additional space for the junior primary students,” Mrs Folker said.
She said it was also a better workplace health and safety outcome, with the younger students’ play area being kept away from the carpark, and safer access to buses provided for the 80-120 children who use them every day.
The school’s bus stop will stay in the same location in Ivy Street.
“We will now be able to walk students straight out to the bus through the school property,” she said.
Mrs Folker said St John’s had no plans to construct anything on the former parkland other than re-locating the playground equipment there, and re-siting a junior soccer playing area to the northern end of the block where there is a cleared area.
The school’s Parents and Friends Committee had agreed to sponsor equipment for the new playground. although some of the items from the current area would also be recycled.
Fencing is likely to begin soon and the new playground would be developed during the June holidays.
Mrs Folker said the aim was to position the play equipment around the trees on the site.
“We don’t want to alter too much of the streetscape,” she said.
“The trees are an asset to us. It will be a playground with small sections strategically placed with natural shade, rather than building shade shelters.”
Related articles:
- Park Sale ‘Disgraceful’
- State Approves Sale Of Park To School
- Park Petition Given To Council
- St John’s Launches Its Own Petition
- Petition Launched To Stop Park Sale
- Community To Be Invited To Have A Say On Park’s Future
- State To Decide On Park Sale
- Greens Spokesman Says Public Consultation ‘Inadequate’
- Council Supports Purchase Of Parkland
- Principal Surprised By Reaction To Park Plan
- MP Supports School’s Expansion Plan
- Should Adermann Park Be Sold?
