Bungendore High School location called inappropriate by residents

The NSW government plans to build the school in the centre of town, which will see students sharing the community library with residents.

The Mick Sherd Oval, primary school oval, sports courts and a multipurpose hall will also be shared between the community and the high school students.

The oval will continue to be available for public use, however during school hours public use will be managed, according to the NSW Department of Education.

Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has agreed to the sale of the council building as part of the school's construction and one of Australia's few remaining station master's cottages, which opened in 1885.

Land which had been proposed for the construction of an aged-care facility will also be acquired by the NSW government.

The existing swimming pool will be moved to the future Bungendore Sports Hub, part of a proposed $2.4 million complex. Council expects to acquire the site in late 2020.

Rhonda-Jane Foulds' family was part of a community drive which raised 25 per cent of funding to open the pool in 1988. Mrs Foulds and her husband ran the pool for several years and she has been teaching lessons there every week since it opened.

The swimming club president said she's had no correspondence with the NSW government or the council regarding the closure of the existing site, despite the fact that lessons will likely be unavailable to her students for several years.

"It's been really disgusting how they've handled it," Mrs Foulds said. "We feel hands-tied a bit at the moment too because of COVID, the restriction on meetings mean we are unable to get together to talk about the plans and they haven't invited us to have a conversation."

Mrs Foulds said the construction of a high school in the centre of the town would change the small town irreparably and traffic congestion would be a huge problem.

"You go into any country town in Australia and you have a nice centre and an oval. We'll no longer have that," Mrs Foulds said.

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The NSW Department of Education has reported it considered more than 1000 hectares of land in and around Bungendore for the construction of the school before the Majara Street - Gibraltar Street site was identified as the most suitable location. Former Pelerang councillor Judith Turley said despite issuing freedom of information requests they were yet to be told which other locations had been considered.

The new high school is intended to be open for students in early 2023.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said its commitment to deliver the high school was well under way.