[Greens-Media] Della Bosca admission: more pressure on govt to reclaim Bass High land

[John Kaye]

Della Bosca admission: more pressure on govt to reclaim Bass High land

Media release: 16 September 2007

NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca has now admitted his Department knew that Bass High school land was being sold to a private school before the sale was finalised. 

He must immediately use his powers under the Education Act to acquire the land back from Al Amanah College and undo the mistake made by his department and his predecessor, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting on a story in today’s Sun-Herald, Dr Kaye said: "In a letter to local MP Tony Stewart, Minister Della Bosca admitted that the Department of Education knew that the land was destined for the development of a new campus of a private school before contract settlement, yet proceeded with the sale in direct contradiction to department policy.

"The Minister has put himself in a very difficult situation. The only way out is to use his powers under section 125 of the Education Act to compulsorily acquire the land back from Al Amanah.

"The cost would be not much more than what the government received for the land in the first place plus Al Amanah’s costs in preparing a development application.

"This is a small price to pay. 

"The longer the Minister leaves this, the more expensive it will become.

"The Iemma government can no longer hide behind claims of ignorance. The Department and the Minister’s predecessor knew all along that so-called 'surplus' land at Bass High had been sold to Al Amanah College, yet they did nothing to stop it.

"This is bad management of public assets.

"The policy exists for good reasons. It is there to protect public schools from the development of private schools that will threaten to take students and undermine the viability of schools like Bass High.

"The time for spin is now over. The Minister must act immediately to take the land off Al Amanah and end this appalling scandal," Dr Kaye said. 


For more information:	John Kaye 0407 195 455