Yes. Consultation with community and technical stakeholders is an important part of the planning process and is a requirement set by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE).

Consultation has provided clarity about the matters of importance for school communities, neighbours and other interested stakeholders and feedback has been shared with the design team to inform their planning.

Yes. Teachers and students have been consulted throughout the early planning phase in design user-group sessions. These sessions are continuing as the project moves into detailed design planning.

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 has 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.

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

More information can be found on DPIE’s major projects website. 

Yes. Modifications can be made following SSD approval. Amendments and modifications may lead to an extended project completion date.

The 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 DPIE Environmental Assessment Requirements.

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 SSD 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/10561

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 SSD works.

The complying development certificate required for works to start on Building R at Chatswood High School has been 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.

Artist impressions are used during the design phase of projects to help visualise the completed development and showcase its potential.

The images used in the SSD submission for the upgrades to Chatswood Public School and Chatswood High School are abstract representations of the new buildings and surrounding areas and the completed buildings, structures and landscapes are subject to change.

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 current proposed 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 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 upgrade will accommodate current Public School enrolment numbers in 60 learning spaces.

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

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

A catchment-wide strategy has been developed with planned adjustments to the boundaries of surrounding schools, including the Lindfield Learning Village.

Support Unit drop off will be from the Jenkins Street carpark with accessible paths of travel provided throughout the school. Delivery and emergency access will be from the Pacific Highway.

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.

Chatswood Public School is listed in the Willoughby Council Local Environmental Plan. The site includes two locally listed heritage items, buildings A & B.

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.

Currently, the new hall is proposed as a single storey building for the most efficient construction solution and to allow for safe and secure shared use outside of school hours.

The Public School stage will be approximately 50m2.

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

The design and construction contract was awarded to Richard Crookes Constructions.

Richard Crookes Constructions will complete the design of the new facilities and construct the new Building R at Chatswood High School.

Enabling works and site investigations have commenced and will continue until early 2021 to prepare the Public School and the High School for construction. 

Excavation and early works for Building R started in late 2020. Construction of the main works will start in mid 2021.

All work onsite will be completed from Monday to Saturday, 7:00am and 6:00pm in line with the current NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment (COVID-19 Development – Construction Work Days Order 2020). This is to allow workers to abide by social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic by distributing work across the week. Work may also be completed between the hours of 7:00am and 6:00pm on Sundays as needed. There will be no work on Public Holidays without prior notification.

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 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 Traffic and Pedestrian Management Plan is being prepared prior to construction starting to outline measures to be taken to ensure public safety. The plan includes, for example, 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.
• 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.

There will be no change to the dropping off zones. The dropping off zone will remain on Centennial Avenue. 

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.

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. Noise will be kept to a minimum as best as possible during the construction period. We will provide advance notice of work to the local community, particularly when we anticipate high noise generating 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. We know asbestos containing material is present on the site. All known and suspected asbestos is recorded in the school’s asbestos registers.

The removal of known asbestos containing material would be completed prior to the commencement of works. 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 would be managed in strict accordance with all applicable legislation, regulations, policies and guidelines.

Chatswood Public School is currently in a campus configuration with years K-2 and years 5-6 located on the Pacific Highway campus, and years 3 and 4 on the ‘Bush Campus’ on the grounds of Chatswood High School. The Bush Campus was established to address enrolment demand using demountable classrooms.

In consultation with the school principals and contractor, several different construction staging options were considered.

During construction, Chatswood Public School will continue to operate across both the Pacific Highway and Bush Campus, with the number of students located at the Bush Campus temporarily increasing.

From early 2021, Years 1 and Years 3-6 will be located on the Pacific Highway Campus, and Years Kindy, Year 2, and the Multi-Categorical Support Unit will be located on the Bush Campus. Year 1 will transition to the Bush Campus in Term 1 2021.

Class locations have been determined by the Principal and executive 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 also has three options for safe drop off and pick up for Years K-2 students and the Eddy Road entrance provides easy access for Assisted Travel.

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.

During construction, Chatswood High School and the Bush Campus will operate in much the same way as they do now. 

Recess and lunch breaks will be staggered to minimise overlap between High School and Public School students. 

Teachers from each school will wear different coloured high-vis vests when supervising students for easy identification. 

Temporary fencing will also be erected around the Bush Campus demountables to provide further separation between the two schools.

The school executive teams will discuss school access requirements to ensure teaching programs and play space needs are met.

Outdoor play areas will temporarily change while construction is underway.

On the Pacific Highway campus, students will have access to two covered outdoor learning areas (COLAs) and play equipment. Following the partial demolition of the Public School Hall in early 2021, astroturf will be installed in its place to create additional outdoor play space for students. On the Bush Campus, students will have access to the oval, the decking and orchard areas. 

High School students will have access to the oval and one sports court and other landscaped areas.

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 will collect students and escort them to the Pacific Highway campus for after school care from D1 T1 2021. 

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

The High School canteen is located in a fit-for-purpose demountable on the sports court.

At the Public School Pacific Highway Campus, the canteen is located in the existing Hall with existing amenities. 

There will also be a canteen on the Bush Campus. 

Signage is in place to assist students in finding all of the necessary amenities.

Chatswood High School - temporary toilets are located on the staff car park and sports courts. Accessible toilets have been installed near Building I and the carpark demountables. 

Bush Campus - temporary toilets, including an accessible toilet, are located on the northern end of the oval. 

Pacific Highway site - following demolition of the existing Public School Hall, temporary toilets will be installed onsite. An accessible toilet will continue to remain open in Building A.