Hurlstone sell-off a kick in the guts, says local MP

Campbelltown MP Greg Warren says the Baird Government’s decision to sell off Hurlstone Agricultural High School and relocate it to the Hawkesbury campus of the Western Sydney University is a kick in the guts to local people.

The plan will see 140 hectares of agricultural land at Glenfield sold off for housing development and the school relocated in 2020.

“This is an outrageous decision which displays that the Liberal State Government is clearly out of touch with the needs of our growing region,” Mr Warren said.

A similar proposal was put before the NSW Parliament in 2009, at which time Mike Baird and Adrian Piccoli both voted against the proposal, as there was no clear community benefit to the sell-off.

“It’s simply a no-brainer that as a regional city Campbelltown needs better and improved local schools that meet the needs of our local kids – which Hurlstone has been doing for almost 100 years.”

Mr Warren condemned the announcement from Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, saying that the decision lacked consultation, justification and a tangible benefit to the community.

“This decision from the Baird Government is nothing more than a quick cash grab at the cost of our local students,’’ Mr Warren said.

“This is yet another example of the contempt Mike Baird and the NSW Liberal Government have for the people of the Macarthur region and has been going on since 2011.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Hurlstone has been an educational institution in the Macarthur region for almost 100 years, providing specialised agricultural education for many local students over the years.[/social_quote]

“Local residents, students and teachers have fought for over a decade to save Hurlstone, so for the Government to just go ahead and sell it off without any consultation is a real kick in the guts.

“Whether it’s the electricity network, the motor registries and now even our local schools – nothing is safe from Mike Baird’s fire sale.”