By CASEY NEILL
PAKENHAM will officially have a new primary school in time for Term 1 in 2017.
Star News Group last October revealed that Pakenham South West Primary School was in the pipeline for Henry Road.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday 2 September announced the 2017 opening date for four Casey-Cardinia sites at the future Casey Central East Primary School site in Cranbourne North.
Cranbourne South West in Cranbourne West and Heather Grove in Clyde North will also welcome students for 2017.
Eastern Victorian Region MP Daniel Mulino said Pakenham South West would start taking enrolments by mid next year.
“We promised the community we would deliver this school as soon as possible and we’re not wasting a minute,” he said.
At the announcement, Education Minister James Merlino said “primary schools in this region are absolutely bursting”.
He said the new schools would be designed, financed, built and maintained for 25 years under the New Schools Public Private Partnership Project.
Mr Merlino said the State Government would sign contracts with Learning Communities Victoria by the end of October, and construction would start soon after.
“These are about building not just schools, but community hubs,” he said.
Learning Communities Victoria includes Amber as sponsor, ClarkeHopkinsClarke as architect, Watpac as builder, Spotless as facilities manager and YMCA and CERES as community partners.
YMCA and CERES will run community and environmental programs at each school.
The State Government will establish School Reference Groups in the year prior to each school opening, providing a link between the project and the broader community during the initial planning and construction stage.
