Waverley College has plans to develop the eastern part of its junior school campus by removing much of the vegetation, including large mature trees, as well as the vines and weeds they have allowed to grow there over the almost thirty years they have owned the land. This area is heritage listed on the Waverley Council Local Environment Plan as ‘The Jungle 1520’. The Waverley College plan is then to introduce concrete walls and other hard surfaces for an active play area and an assembly space complete with power for amplification, to replace the heritage listed green space. The intention is also to excavate part of the rocky outcrops to give a level access to Brown Street in order to make a formal school entrance.  

Important issues include

• ·         Ignoring the heritage listing of the site
• ·         Loss of habitat. Favourite breeding ground for Tawney Frogmouths
• ·         Interference with the large Moreton Bay Fig trees which are separately heritage listed
• ·         Access to the school via Brown St:
• o   This is a dangerous blind corner. Children’s safety will be compromised.
• o   Traffic volumes are already elevated at school drop off and pick up times because of Bronte Public School traffic winding through Brown Street and Palmerston Avenue.
• o   Parts of Brown St, Blandford Ave and Palmerston Ave are so narrow that it is impossible for two cars to pass at the same time.
• o   The intersection at Gibson-Murray Streets, and the roundabout at Gipps-Murray-Bronte-Rd are already very difficult to negotiate at peak-traffic times.
• ·         Loss of character: This proposal will change the character of this area permanently. It will introduce more traffic into, and reduce the vegetation of, a quiet and leafy neighbourhood.

In these times of environmental degradation, species loss and climate change, Waverley College have a responsibility to their school community, the Bronte neighbourhood and the wider community to treat this precious wilderness with great care.