Since I last wrote I have had one life moment that many fear and others celebrate. I turned 40 last week and despite some hesitation as it loomed - I have to tell you I feel... well... fine!! There has been the odd moment of a sideways glance at red sports cars, brochures on skydiving or even learning to salsa but somehow this was fleeting. I have decided to embrace the change and tell the world that 40 is ok - well that is what I am telling you.

 

In any case I digress - for those who remember Wayne Gretsky he was once deemed the greatest athlete on the planet. He was and remains the greatest ice hockey player of all time... when he was questioned on his success he said "easy... I go to where the puck is going not where it is". Now why is this relevant well I think it relates to the upcoming vote on the Seaforth Tafe site. Let me elaborate.

 

I am certainly happy that after 9 years of wrestling the community has a chance to vote on the future of this site. I think that Manly Council has got it right by referring this long running decision to the community. As the elected member my job will be easy... it will be to support the option that the community chooses - very simple.

 

However, I also think that the onus is on me to provide a view. A sense of what the opportunity may be away from the clatter of groups supporting the options proposed. In this process of review I have viewed the enrolment statistics for our primary schools and the story tells what many are telling me and that is our primary schools are under huge pressure. Since 2001 the population of Manly has increased by about 2.5% but, the children under 5 have increased by 10%.

 

Not surprisingly the enrolments in our local public schools have risen at similar rates over the past five years. At Curl Curl North enrolments have almost doubled into kindergarten. In Harbord they are up 30% and in Seaforth they are up 70%. At the same time with the exception of Bally Boys which is on a real surge, all of our local High Schools have very little spare capacity. In this I sense that an educational crisis will be upon us in less than 10 years.

 

So imagine if we sell the land at Seaforth and then come back again in 10 years and say... ummm we actually need a new High School. I am not sure that the Department of Education has done this analysis but, I would think that a Seaforth High (of any type of configuration) would be a logical thing to pursue if education is chosen at the community vote. Whether it be a Technical High School, an extension of Bally Boys, or a smaller co-ed High School it provides educational flexibility for our future.

 

Still the community has the vote... so my efforts will support that case. I will say though that if a re-development option is ultimately chosen then the least that the Department of Education could do is return all proceeds to our local schools. All our schools could rightly lay claim to the reported $8 million the sale may generate for the Department... It is hard not to think about Wayne Gretsky in this analysis though... where is the puck going in relation to High School education in our community?

 

Cheers

Mike