Two new schools will open in the inner-city in Brisbane, and another will be significantly expanded, as part of the Palaszczuk Government’s plan to deliver better education for all Queensland students.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the State Budget would include a $500 million Building Future Schools Fund to build new schools, secure land in Queensland’s fastest growing regions and create 1500 jobs over five years in delivering the initiative.

Ms Palaszczuk said through the Fund, the Advancing Inner City Schools initiative will:

deliver a new state secondary school at the former Fortitude Valley State School site in partnership with Queensland University of Technology

establish a new high school in the inner-south working with the University of Queensland to take enrolment pressure off Brisbane State High School

support the expansion of West End State School to meet enrolment demand

Deputy Premier, Minister for Infrastructure and Planning and Member for South Brisbane Jackie Trad said over the last 50 years, Brisbane had used all available land to expand our existing school sites.

“In the last decade we have seen more than 5000 extra students join state schools in and around the Brisbane CBD,” she said.

“This growth is set to continue with more than 3,000 extra students expected to move into inner-Brisbane in the next five years.

“It’s been more than 50 years since we built a new state high school in the inner Brisbane area and, with growth set to continue, our $500 million Building Future Schools Fund will help address enrolment growth.”

Dr Erin Evans, President of the West End Community association, has cautiously welcomed the announcement of new education facilities in the Kurilpa area and look forward to further detail.

“We are particularly interested to learn the proposed location of the new High School for South Brisbane, as well as the involvement of private education institutions,” said Dr Evans.

“The critical state of local state education infrastructure is an issue that the community has campaigned on for decades.

“Given the importance of this issue we ask that a focus group be formed to ensure robust community involvement in the decision-making process.”