In short:
Wyndham Council has renewed its fight to keep Truganina’s Woods Road site for education, not housing, as locals warn the suburb already faces a shortage of schools amid rapid growth in Melbourne’s west.
Fight over proposed school
Wyndham City Council has doubled down on its opposition to a developer’s plan to build homes on land in Truganina originally reserved for a school — amid growing concern from residents that the suburb already has enough housing but not enough schools.
At last week’s Planning Committee meeting, Council voted to update its refusal to grant Intrapac Ellarook Pty Ltd, the owner of 267–279 Woods Road, a permit to replace the proposed Forsyth P-6 school with housing.
The dispute will now head to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), with a compulsory hearing expected later this year. Council will advise VCAT that it does not have the authority to negotiate a settlement on the matter.
Council first rejected the developer’s permit in December 2023, arguing that turning the site into housing would not provide a net community benefit and that a new primary school was essential to accommodate Truganina’s rapid population growth.
While a new government school and kindergarten have since opened around 400 metres from the Woods Road site, many residents remain concerned that the area will struggle to keep up with ongoing demand for education facilities as new estates continue to expand.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has received a request from the developer to rezone 279 Woods Road from ‘potential government primary school’ to ‘residential’.
Cr Preet Singh said the issue goes beyond planning and strikes at the heart of what local families need.
“This issue is not merely about planning, it is about protecting the rights of our children, our residents and the future of Wyndham,” Cr Singh said.
“This could set a concerning precedent, potentially obliging us to future demands from developers at the expense of our community’s long-term interests.
“While the government has secured an alternative site and constructed a school there, this does not negate the need for another education facility in this area.”
Cr Shannon McGuire agreed, saying more houses without more schools and infrastructure would only deepen the pressure.
“Ultimately, if we just fill every parcel of land with housing – and this is a big parcel of land – all it does is create more demand for schools and infrastructure in the area,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Planning confirmed the Council’s submission will be reviewed before any final decision is made on reclassifying the land.
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