High profile critic of junior campus

A former state government planning minister and San Remo resident has criticised the Education Department for their selection of land for the new junior secondary school campus.

Rob Maclellan’s brother Peter owned the land at the intersection of Potters Hill and Shetland Heights roads in San Remo before they were approached by the state government last year to purchase it.
“We still haven’t been paid for it,” said Mr Maclellan, who was a minister in the Kennett Government in the 90s.

“They threatened us with compulsory acquisition, but we negotiated.”
Mr Maclellan – who spoke to the Advertiser at last week’s San Remo community forum (see separate article) – said his 92-year-old brother was sick in hospital but had allowed planners onto the land to start construction.

He said the land was zoned farming and argued the school now prevented the 2012 plan to develop an east-west second main road as an alternative to the congested Phillip Island Road.
“The whole idea of that link is now gone.

“Even if and when Shetland Heights Road is fully constructed it will be a nightmare because of traffic on that corner.
“How is someone who lives between Potters Hill and Punchbowl meant to get their milk and newspaper now?”

Mr Maclellan disputed that his family was a beneficiary from the sale, adding he told the Education Department they should have built the school on a larger site on the main road to allow for future expansion, as well as the primary school.

“Instead they’ve chosen a mean little 10-acre site. I’m saddened the education bureaucrats couldn’t do better.
“I spent the better part of six months trying to persuade the education department to go somewhere else.”

Construction of the new campus is underway.
About 400 students from years 7-9 are expected to attend when it opens in 2022.

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