Richmond River High Campus

Planning is underway to rebuild RRHC after it was extensively damaged by floods in early 2022.

The department is rebuilding a modern, purpose-built school with new classrooms and learning spaces tailored to the educational needs of the Northern Rivers community now, and into the future.

Students are learning from a temporary campus at The Rivers Secondary College Lismore High Campus.

The campus will be relocated to a site the department has purchased along Dunoon Road at North Lismore.

The site selection was guided by:

• Proximity to the primary partners schools
• Flood planning and flood resilience
• Retaining the important parts of Richmond River High Campus (RRHC) identity (e.g. green space, not being a city campus)
• Diversity of teaching needs, e.g. Agricultural, performing arts, visual arts, VET
• Land size and planning for a school large enough for RRHC
• Time it will take to achieve planning consent

The new site will allow school buildings to be positioned above the 2022 flood level and the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) level. This will significantly improve the school’s flood resilience by minimising disruptions from future flood events and allowing students to return to school much sooner.

Rebuilding the Richmond River High Campus is being funded through insurance and rebuilt on a like-for-like basis to replace school facilities damaged by the 2022 floods. It will include 20 general classrooms, 3 support classrooms, specialist learning spaces, agricultural facilities, hall and playing fields.

We are consulting with the Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, about the proposed site for RRHC.

Consultation will include:

• Preparation of an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report (ACHAR), which is also needed as part of our planning application for the project.
• Ongoing Connecting with Country consultation to ensure Bundjalung cultural heritage is incorporated into campus design and daily operations.

Consultation was held in July and August 2023 to understand the community’s long-term vision for secondary education in Lismore and surrounding areas, and the role of the campus.

This included workshops with students, staff, and P&Cs from The Rivers Secondary College, as well as with P&Cs and school principals from the public primary schools in the RRHC catchment, and an online survey for the Lismore community. The consultation outcomes and the final consultation report provided information for review of options for rebuilding the school.

The department is working collaboratively with RRHC on campus designs through the Project Reference Group (PRG). Outcomes from consultation workshops with staff, parents and students in July and August 23 have also been considered as part of the architect’s brief.

The campus masterplan and concept designs will be shared at information sessions for staff and the community on 22 August 2024 before a planning application is submitted.

We expect construction to be completed in 2027.

We will keep the community updated on time frames throughout the planning, design, approval, and construction phases.

RRHC students will remain at their temporary site at Lismore High Campus until their campus is rebuilt.

The learning spaces in the temporary campus are state of the art and include classrooms and specialist subject spaces such as science labs, workshops, kitchens, music studio and art rooms as well as a canteen building.

We will continue to share information with the community through website updates, information sessions and project updates. You can also contact us by email at schoolinfrastructure@det.nsw.edu.au or phone on 1300 482 65