The trial, to take place in 11 schools across the state, will open up school ovals, sports courts and playgrounds for the public to use for personal and recreational use, giving people access to space that has been off limits for many years.
NSW Premier and Member for Kogarah Chris Minns said he’s never been a fan of locking up school grounds to the public.
“I want kids and families to be able to use the grounds outside of school hours,” Minns said in a statement.
“It seems like a waste to keep hundreds of school ovals locked up at night, over the weekends and during school holidays.
“It’s why we’re throwing the gates of this public land open – it means people who live in apartments have more space to enjoy the outdoors, and kids have more options to get off their devices and play outside.
The NSW Government’s existing shared spaces program already opens up almost 200 schools’ outdoor facilities during school holidays for public use, however, it does not permit the opening of ovals outside of school holidays.
Participating schools include:
- Kogarah High School
- Bardwell Park Infants School
- Delegate Public School
- Hernani Public School
- Kambora Public School
- Manly West Public School
- Menindee Central School
- Roseville Public School
- Seaforth Public School
- Strathfield Girls High School
- Teralba Public School
The Government says unlocking the extra green space outside of school hours is especially important at a time when it is encouraging more young people to get off their devices and to get active, following the introduction of mobile phone bans in schools and social media restrictions.
Kogarah High School is one of the schools opening its sports field for community access as part of the trial, following a recent upgrade.
The sports field had been shared between the school and the public outside of school hours for decades, until it was ended under the former government, and has been upgraded to provide students and the community with a safer environment in which to learn, play and exercise.
“I’m really pleased that one of the schools taking part in this trial is Kogarah High School, who are also getting to enjoy an upgraded oval, with new fences, gates, stairs and an access ramp, ensuring this space is accessible to all who wish to enjoy it,” Minns said.
The sports field will be open to the public from 4pm to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8pm on weekends. During school holidays, it will be open to the public from 8am-8pm every day.
Upgrades on nearby Kogarah Public School are also progressing, with plans for the construction of 24 new classrooms in a three-storey building, a new multipurpose hall and the removal of 10 demountable classrooms.
A full list of schools taking part in the Share Our Space program, including the trial, can be accessed here.
