Latest news with #WillyamaHighSchool
ABC News
07-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Demolition of Broken Hill's Willyama High School begins after mould outbreak
Eighteen months after a Broken Hill high school was forced to close indefinitely due to a major mould infestation, demolition work has begun. More than 600 Willyama High School students had to be relocated to alternate schools in January last year after the start of term one. The public high school in Far West New South Wales was earmarked for demolition last March after an independent hygienist report found the mould infestation was so extreme the building would have to be stripped down to its bricks to be safe again. The rebuild, which local MP Roy Butler believes will cost between $90–100 million, is expected to start early next year, with students returning from 2027. In the past, locals living near the site voiced concerns about potentially coming into contact with hazardous material, including mould or asbestos, during the demolition. In a statement, a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said surrounding residents should not worry. "Before heavy demolition began in the area, all associated hazardous materials were safely removed, and the area inspected to confirm remediation was safely completed," they said. "The safety and wellbeing of our students, workers and the community is our highest priority, and we will keep the community updated as work progresses." The spokesperson said the process had been carefully staged to "prioritise safety and minimise disruption to the local community". "All demolition activities are being undertaken in alignment with the Remediation Action Plan developed by an independent hygienist for the site," they said. The NSW government announced last month it had allocated more than $50 million in the state budget to start the Willyama High School rebuild.
ABC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Mouldy Broken Hill high school rebuild closer after state budget allocation
The New South Wales government has reaffirmed its plan for a state-of-the-art secondary school in the state's far west, allocating more than $55 million towards the project in the latest state budget. Broken Hill's Willyama High School has been closed for more than 18 months due to a significant mould outbreak, with the state government marking it for demolition and rebuild. Construction crews and equipment are now on site and demolition is expected to begin soon but, until recently, the rebuild plans have been contentious. A Willyama P&C group formed this year led several local concerns, including inadequate classroom layouts and limited learning resources. But president Kirby Allen, whose son will start year 7 at Willyama next year, said these issues seemed to have been addressed in a redesign released to the community last week. "In comparison to what was shown in March, it's bigger [and] laid out a lot better," Ms Allen said. "It was very evident that the feedback has been taken on board. Everyone's happy it's going in the right direction." The formal consultation process for the new school design is believed to be finished and the rebuild is likely to be put out to tender in the coming weeks. The government plans to begin construction early next year and have the school open to more than 730 students by early 2027. While the rebuild has been more than a year in the making the government has now allocated $56.4 million of the 2025-'26 state budget to it. Barwon MP Roy Butler said this would not cover the whole build, but it was government practice to stagger funding for major infrastructure projects. "I think by the time we actually finish it, you're probably looking at $100 million to build that school." The Department of Education's Far West Director of Educational Leadership, Peter Macbeth, said he looked forward to working with the community on a school everyone could be proud of. "It's a really exciting and incredible thing for the community and it's gaining lots of positive momentum," Mr Macbeth said.
