Local MP Anoulack Chanthivong has backed a student-led online petition to save Hurlstone Agricultural High School’s iconic Farm from being sold to developers.
The Liberal Government has long been courting the idea of selling off almost all of the school’s green vista as part of its Glenfield Precinct Plan. Mr Chanthivong says the plan would unleash a tidal wave of overdevelopment in the area, destroy vital green open space and irreversibly change the suburb’s character. It would also threaten to curtail the school’s long and proud agricultural tradition.
“The Hurlstone Farm and its adjoining land must be retained,” Mr Chanthivong said. “It is imperative that plans for Hurlstone’s future take into account the agricultural and farming needs of the school.”
Mr Chanthivong waged a successful and hard-fought campaign to retain Hurlstone Agricultural High School at Glenfield but he insists the fight continues to save the Hurlstone Farm and surrounding land from overdevelopment.
“I proudly support Hurlstone Agricultural High School students’ online petition to save the Hurlstone Farm. They are genuinely concerned about their school’s future and firmly believe that the Liberal Government’s overdevelopment plans will jeopardise the school’s long and proud agricultural tradition,” Mr Chanthivong said.
The students’ online petition states: ‘HAHS has been an agricultural school for 113 years and while our dairy herd is the oldest Ayrshire herd in Australia, our other enterprises such as pigs and sheep have also been highly successful, winning numerous ribbons in recent years at events such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show.”
The ePetition is open until Tuesday 29th December and can be found via the Parliament of NSW’s website at https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/Pages/ePetition-details.aspx?q=0KzFZXDwn0jCQj2LfyKNBQ==
Students are seeking the community’s support to reach 500 signatures, in which case the NSW Minister for Education must respond.
“Signing the students’ petition is another opportunity to send a clear message to the Liberal Government –
Hands Off Hurlstone,” Mr Chanthivong said.
