Major Gillieston School Redevelopment Begins

NSW Gov

The Minns Labor Government is continuing its work to build essential school infrastructure in regional NSW, with construction now underway on the redevelopment of Gillieston Public School, which will expand the capacity of the school and include a new co-located public preschool.

The project will see all 24 demountables at the school replaced with 32 state-of-the-art classrooms and three support classrooms ready for Day 1, Term 1 2027. The upgrade will increase the permanent capacity of the school, which currently has just two permanent classrooms, by more than 650 students.

The Minns Labor Government's 2024 Enrolment Growth Audit identified Gillieston as a key regional area with rising local school enrolments.

Surging demand for public education in Maitland has seen Gillieston Public School bursting at the seams, with the majority of the school's students learning in demountables - some of which have been on site for up to 30 years. Far from addressing the problem, the former Liberal National Government added eight more demountables in 2022 alone.

In addition to replacing all demountables with new modern classrooms, the redeveloped school will have a co-located public preschool, new administration building and library, new hall with a canteen and Outside of School Hours (OOSH) care facilities, covered outdoor learning area (COLA), landscaped outdoor areas, and upgraded sports facilities.

The fee-free public preschool will also be completed for Day 1, Term 1 2027, accommodating up to 120 children per week. The preschool at Gillieston Public School is part of the Minns Labor Government's $769 million commitment to build 100 public preschools by 2027, the biggest expansion of public preschools in the state's history.

This major project is part of the Minns Labor Government's work to rebuild public education and ensure families have access to world class public schools close to home. The 2024-25 Budget includes $2.1 billion for new and upgraded schools in regional NSW.

Projects delivering world class local public schools across the Hunter region include:

  • A new primary school and high school for Huntlee
  • A new high school for Medowie
  • Hunter River High School upgrade
  • Newcastle High School upgrade
  • Thornton Public School upgrade
  • Irrawang High School upgrade (completed April 2025)

This follows the government's delivery of more teaching in our schools through reducing teacher vacancies by 61 per cent, including a 74 per cent reduction in Maitland alone.

Gillieston Public School will remain operational during construction.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

"This much-needed redevelopment is a major investment in the future of public education for families in Maitland and provides local students with the state-of-the-art facilities they deserve.

"For far too long, the Gillieston Public School community was neglected by the former Liberal National government.

"The Minns Labor Government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car and the tireless advocacy of local MP Jenny Aitchison, have listened to the community, and I am delighted to see works for this long-awaited project begin.

"This redevelopment demonstrates our commitment to continue delivering the vital school infrastructure that Hunter families need."

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said:

"I am thrilled to celebrate construction starting on this project. This school was in desperate need of an upgrade after years of neglect by the Liberals and Nationals.

"I have worked side by side with the families of Gillieston Heights to deliver a school they can be proud of, which meets their needs to give local kids the best chance to thrive in a modern learning environment.

"The Gillieston Heights community has been growing extremely rapidly, and this upgrade will ensure the school keeps pace and delivers a legacy of supporting public education in Maitland by the Minns Labor Government."

Gillieston Public School Principal Lauren Fernando said:

"Breaking ground is a really exciting moment for our school. It's the start of a great new chapter that's going to be beneficial for our students, staff and families.

"Our whole school community has been looking forward to this project, and we can't wait to see our future school come to life."

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