SINSW required development approval to proceed with the upgrades to Chatswood Public School and Chatswood High School. The formal process of gaining approval is called the statutory planning approval process.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) is responsible for managing this process and reviewed the application with consideration of both local and state specific issues. This is because this project is a State Significant Development (SSD).

More information can be found on DPIE’s major projects website: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/10561.

Yes. The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) approved the State Significant Development application for the upgrades to Chatswood Public School and Chatswood High School in November 2020.

More information can be found on DPIE’s major projects website: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/10561.

Yes. Modifications can be made following approval of the State Significant Development application. Amendments and modifications may lead to an extended project completion date.

The State Significant Development (SSD) application for this project sought approval for the concept design along with the location, scale and envelope of each building. The application was accompanied by several supporting documents including an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Industry and Envrionment’s (DPIE)Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs).

The EIS provided a comprehensive description of the project's environmental, social and economic impacts and mitigation measures. It also included detailed information on the project scope and design plans.

The State Significant Development application was placed on public exhibition for 28 days. There was an opportunity for the public to comment during this time.

Detailed plans can be viewed on the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s (DPIE) major project’s website: https://www. planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/1056.

Building R is being built separately to the main works as a complying development. Building R is central to the staged delivery of the project and will accommodate students during construction of the main State Significant Development works.

The complying development certificate required for works to start on Building R at Chatswood High School  was issued by a private certifier and excavation and early works started in late 2020.

Complying development applications are determined by council or an independent certifier and must meet a set of prescribed approval conditions.

A key theme from the community consultation was the requirement for adequate performing arts facilities.

Chatswood High School will be provided with a new free-standing hall and fixed stage.

The High School annex will be retained to provide teaching and learning support during construction. The approved design shows the High School hall being retained upon completion of the upgrade. 

The size of the new High School stage will be 100m2. In addition, the existing hall and stage will remain in place.

The department reviewed options to accommodate Chatswood High School students in 2022.

Key factors considered throughout the process were:

·       maintaining student wellbeing and safety

·       providing continuity of teaching and learning

·       maximising the amount of active play space available to students

·       providing specialist learning facilities

·       minimising the duration and impacts of construction.

The provision of additional temporary classrooms and dedicated play spaces at Chatswood High School enables the department to meet these key factors, accommodate enrolment growth and enable the next stage of construction.

From early 2021, Years K-2 and the Multi-Categorical Support Unit have been located on the Bush Campus and Years 3-6 located on the Pacific Highway Campus.

Class locations have been determined by the principal and executive team with consideration given to the size of each year group, the required classroom sizes, and ease of access to safe play space.

The Bush Campus will be utilised while the Chatswood Public School upgrade is underway and will continue to operate following project completion for as long as required.

Chatswood continues to experience significant residential growth placing increased enrolment pressure on both schools, and in particular Chatswood Public School.

The Chatswood Public School upgrade will deliver 53 new and refurbished learning spaces, 4 special program spaces, 3 special support spaces, a new hall and more than double the amount of play space. The upgrade will allow current enrolment numbers to be accommodated on the Pacific Highway Campus.

The Bush Campus at Chatswood High School will be retained for use by the Public School for as long as required.

A new school intake area for Lindfield Learning Village has recently been determined by the NSW Department of Education. Adjusting the intake area boundary between Chatswood Public School and Lindfield Learning Village will help balance future enrolments in the demographic area by restricting non-local enrolments.

The department is also pleased to confirm that separate to this upgrade project, planning is underway for a new primary school in the Chatswood area.

Outdoor play areas have temporarily changed.

On the Pacific Highway campus, students have access to covered outdoor learning areas (COLAs) and play equipment. On the Bush Campus, students have access to the oval, decking and orchard areas.

The Chatswood Public School Principal will continue to review and optimise the existing outdoor space to support student wellbeing.

Public School students will benefit from access to quality play space, to contribute to their learning and overall health and well-being.

Play space will include but not be limited to a purpose-built Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA), multi-use indoor and outdoor sports courts, and rooftop play area.

Play space will be improved, with the project team aiming to at least double the space students currently have access to.

A new, larger library will be built in Building P2 and the administrative spaces expanded and improved in Building A. There are no major works proposed for Building B.

Yes. Multi-storey buildings P1 and P2 will be fitted with lifts to safely and efficiently transition students between floors.

Yes. Multi-storey buildings P1 and P2 will be fitted with lifts to safely and efficiently transition students between floors.

The school executive and project team will design an emergency evacuation plan in accordance with the Department of Education’s standards and guidelines.

In 2018, the Department conducted a detailed feasibility assessment of the 688-692 Pacific Highway site for Public School use.

The site did not achieve a value for money outcome for the state investment and was deemed unsuitable.

The Department will continue to work within the existing land ownership boundaries to deliver the best educational outcome for students and staff.

The Public School stage will be approximately 50m2.

The use of the multipurpose hall will be directed by the Public School executive team and staff to ensure both sports and performing arts activities are accommodated.

OSHC for before and after school care will continue operations during construction.

On the Pacific Highway campus, OSHC has an allocated room.

For Bush Campus students, the OSHC provider collects students and escorts them to the Pacific Highway campus for after school care.

Alternative after school care providers will be allowed onsite to collect students at both the Bush Campus and Pacific Highway campus.

Public School students can access the Bush Campus via the Centennial Avenue stairs, Freeman Road and Eddy Road.

Public access to the oval is from Eddy Road and from the Centennial Avenue stairs entrance.

While Building R works are underway, Oliver Road will be used for construction access.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) require the project team to make publicly available construction compliance reports in accordance with the development consent conditions. The reports have been uploaded to the School Infrastructure NSW project website and can be viewed here: https://www.schoolinfrastructure.nsw.gov.au/projects/c/chatswood-public-school-chatswood-high-school-upgrades.html#category-reports.

The main works construction contract was awarded to Richard Crookes Constructions in June 2021.

Richard Crookes Constructions was also awarded the contract to complete the design of the new facilities and construct the new Building R at Chatswood High School.

The NSW Government recently passed legislation to allow construction hours to be extended outside of those specified in the development consent conditions (Environmental Planning and Assessment (COVID-19 Development-Construction Work Days) Order (No 3) 2021) to protect the health, safety and welfare of construction workers and our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The construction hours are 7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, 7 am to 5 pm Saturday and 9 am to 5 pm Sundays and public holidays. Work completed on a Sunday and public holidays is restricted to certain activities and equipment to minimise noise and impact to the community.

Order (No 3) remains in force until 24 December 2021. Following this, construction hours will return to those specified in the development consent conditions: 7 am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 8 am to 1 pm Saturday. No work will be carried out on Sundays or public holidays.

The Department of Education is committed to ensuring that work is completed safely and efficiently and with minimal impact to the local community.

Rigorous safety and security measures will be in place for the duration of the works. This will include a COVID-safety plan, fencing off the construction area and installing surveillance systems. There will be no access to the construction area by staff or students. 

The health, safety and well-being of students, staff and neighbours is our highest priority.

A Construction Traffic and Pedestrian Management Plan has been prepared to outline measures to be taken to ensure public safety.

The plan includes construction vehicle movements, potential amendments to existing street signage, and traffic control procedures.

Disruption to the local community will be minimised by a number of mitigation strategies, including:

·       Construction workers will be encouraged to use the Chatswood Interchange to access the site.

·       Movement of materials will take place where possible within the site boundary.

·       Trucks will enter and exit the site in a forward motion. At the public school, a turntable will be built within the construction site for trucks to turn around.

·       Traffic controllers will be in place where required.

A survey of parents and students identified that close to 70% of Chatswood Public School students walk or catch public transport to and from school, with more than 80% of Chatswood High School students walking or using public transport.

This reflects the accessibility of the Chatswood Interchange and the encouragement of sustainable modes of travel.

Traffic assessments anticipate that the increase in student population will not have a noticeable impact on surrounding streets.

The project team consults regularly with the school principals to discuss upcoming works and noise will be kept to a minimum as best as possible during the construction period.

Noise levels on site will be managed in accordance with the noise control guidelines that are outlined in the EPA Environmental Noise Control Manual for construction and demolition works.

Dust as a result of demolition and construction works will be hosed down as required.

Yes. The health, safety and well-being of students, staff, contractors and our neighbours is our highest priority.

The removal of known asbestos containing material will be completed prior to the start of demolition works. All known and suspected asbestos is recorded in the school’s asbestos registers which are available on the department’s website here: https://www.schoolinfrastructure.nsw.gov.au/about-us/workingwithus/schools-asbestos-register/schools-asbestos-register-c.html

The removal of asbestos is managed in accordance with the Department of Education’s Asbestos Management Plan and Safe Work NSW by licensed and accredited asbestos removalists and occupational hygienists. It will be managed in strict accordance with all applicable legislation, regulations, policies and guidelines.

The construction sites have separate entrances for workers and vehicles and hoarding has been installed around work zones to prevent public access to each site.

All contractors and sub-contractors are required to have the appropriate declaration checks in place and be inducted on to site prior to starting.

The upgrade has been designed and landscaped in keeping with the natural environment and topography of each school.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) approved the State Significant Development application in November 2020. The approval included the removal of trees at both schools to allow for the construction of the new buildings.

Replacement planting will be carried out as the project progresses, in accordance with the relevant policy and in consultation with Willoughby Council.

The biodiversity zone at Chatswood High School will continue to remain untouched.

SINSW is aware of a hollow bearing tree, an angophora costata, within the Chatswood High School Building S work zone that is often inhabited by Powerful Owls during their breeding season.

The project team met with a local wildlife group, Birdlife Australia, and representatives from Willoughby Council and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to develop a strategy to protect the safety and wellbeing of the owls.

As a result, temporary fencing was set up around the angophora costata tree to create a tree protection zone and ropes were installed to two adjacent trees to assist the owlets to fledge. We are happy to report that the owlets left the nest successfully in August 2021.

We can also advise that site investigations have confirmed that the angophora costata tree within the construction site is capable of being retained, with propping, to support future breeding seasons.

No. A Heritage Impact Statement (HIS) and assessment was undertaken as part of the State Significant Development (SSD) application, and heritage buildings will be carefully and respectfully maintained across both school sites.