New sports facilities for inner city under new joint-use deal

Release date: 14 August 2018

The new Alexandria Park Community School and new Inner Sydney High School at Surry Hills will share with the community indoor and outdoor sports fields and access to other facilities under a joint-use agreement negotiated between the NSW Government and the City of Sydney.

The agreement forms part of the new schools being delivered for these communities.

Education Minister Rob Stokes welcomed the joint use agreement.

“Sharing use of valuable assets like sporting fields and recreation space as we are doing at Alexandria Park Community School and the new Inner Sydney High School is a win-win for students and the community," Mr Stokes said.

"I want to see more of these deals to boost facilities in more communities."

Once approved, Alexandria Park Community School joint-use agreement will include closure of Park Road to enable sharing of the school's new synthetic sports field. It will also make the indoor and outdoor sports facilities available to the community. 

For Inner Sydney High School, joint-use will include a recreation area for school students on part of Prince Alfred Park as well as community access outside school hours to the school's new multi-purpose indoor sports facility and performance spaces.

There will be landscaping at the interface of the school with the park and tree protection conditions.

It is understood this is a renewal of the first joint-use agreement between a public school and a council with the original Cleveland Street school having an agreement to use playing fields at adjacent Prince Alfred Park as long go as the 1800s.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the agreement would provide facilities that improve quality of life for many living near the schools.

“This new agreement with the Department of Education will mean sports fields and indoor and outdoor facilities can be used by both school students and the wider community, helping Sydneysiders to live more active lives," she said.

The NSW Government is investing $6 billion over the next four years to deliver more than 170 new and upgraded schools to support communities throughout NSW. This is the largest investment into public infrastructure by any state government in Australian history.