The State Government committed to fully rebuild the school last year after a severe mould outbreak was discovered during the 2023/24 summer school holidays, and an independent hygienist determined the school could not be remediated without the risk of reoccurrence.
NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said the start of the demolition process is a significant milestone for students, teachers and families from Willyama High School and the Broken Hill community.
“As Broken Hill farewells the old Willyama High School, I give them my word that we will rebuild a fantastic and modern school that this community will value for generations to come,” Car said.
“We deeply appreciate the patience, resilience, and understanding shown by students, families, and staff through what has been a challenging time.
“I strongly believe we have the opportunity to deliver a new school that will inspire confidence in the future of Broken Hill and showcase the exceptional public education that your local area delivers.”
Early works on the demolition commenced this week, with the full removal of the old school expected to be completed by October.
This includes site establishment, disconnection of water and electrical services, the removal of hazardous materials, followed by demolition.
Demolition works, while essential for retaining play and open space at the school, will not impact the timeline of works on the new school.
Minister for Western NSW Tara Moriarty said while this may be a bittersweet goodbye to a well-known community building, the families of Broken Hill can rest assured the rebuild is on track.
“The new Willyama High School will deliver for the families of Broken Hill, who have shown great resilience during this difficult time.”
During the demolition process, work on finalising the school design will continue.
Feedback from more than 100 face-to-face community information sessions is helping to shape the rebuild design to ensure the needs of the staff and students are met.
This includes the installation of air conditioning in all buildings, including the hall, as well as exploring opportunities for more staff spaces beyond the standard provision.
Catering for 730 students, the new Willyama High School will feature core facilities including a new hall and library, as well as 30 general and specialist classrooms (including four science classrooms), four support classrooms, two modern science labs, learning commons, multipurpose spaces.
A commercial kitchen will also be built to support VET courses as well as a new, fully equipped wood and metal workshop.
The draft master plan, which was shared with the community in March, has been designed to allow for future expansion, offering flexibility to meet the needs of potential future population growth.
The NSW Government said it is committed to rebuilding public education across the state, and shared that it has invested $8.9 billion for new and upgraded schools – including $1.4 billion for schools in regional areas.
