ORMISTON College says misinformation about its expansion plans is fuelling much of the public backlash to the project with headmaster Michael Hornby insisting a significant koala corridor will remain and be enhanced as development progresses.
Speaking amid ongoing protests over vegetation clearing on the Ormiston campus, Mr Hornby said there had never been any intention to remove all vegetation from the site.
“Potentially what isn’t clear is that there’s always been a commitment to retain a koala corridor,” he said.
“There’s never been any intention to remove all of that vegetation. There is vegetation remaining there at the moment, which we’re very committed to maintaining.”
The comments come as debate continues over the college’s approved expansion, which has attracted strong opposition from environmental campaigners concerned about impacts on koala habitat.
Mr Hornby said the college had clearly outlined the scope of the works but believed many people remained unaware of what would ultimately remain on the site.
“We’ve articulated on our master plan information page exactly the scope of the work,” he said.
“We were looking at clearing 600-odd trees. Of those, 50 were designated as koala preferred food trees. We’ll be planting another 526 of those within the existing corridor.
“That existing corridor remains there.”
The headmaster said he had personally met with some opponents of the project and found many were surprised after seeing the site firsthand.
“I’ve met with people that have been strongly against this and spoken to them,” he said.
“I’ve got them out here and even they said, ‘So you’re keeping this?’ and I said, ‘Yes, this is staying’.
“They were blown away by how much stays.”
Mr Hornby said approximately 80 per cent of the vegetation area would remain intact, a figure also referenced by Oodgeroo MP Amanda Stoker during a recent speech in State Parliament.
He said the college was now considering additional ways to communicate details of the project to residents visiting the site.
“We’re going to get posters and put them on all the fences to show people exactly what’s happening,” he said.
“We’re just trying to get into this zone where we’re saying, ‘Hey, 80 per cent is staying, we’re planting all these trees’.”
While the first stage of clearing works has now been completed, Mr Hornby said future works would focus on both sporting infrastructure and environmental improvements.
“The oval preparation or clearing has finished, so stage one is done,” he said.
“Stage two, which is the oval earthworks and fencing, will commence in about two to three weeks.”
He said the fencing design would include provisions to allow koala movement through the site.
“The fencing has significant rules around koala access,” he said.
Mr Hornby said construction of the enhanced wildlife corridor was expected to begin later this year.
“We anticipate that we would start the wildlife corridor development around September or October,” he said.
“It’s definitely got to be within six months.”
The college has maintained that the expansion project will deliver improved educational and sporting facilities while preserving a substantial environmental corridor through the campus.
Mr Hornby said he hoped ongoing community engagement would help ease tensions once construction activity settled.
“I think it’s been a fight against misinformation,” he said.
“We’re looking to do a significant wildlife corridor. This is not going to be a small project.”
He said the college remained committed to maintaining communication with the wider community throughout the next stages of development.
