Rebuilding a High School in Far West New South Wales
Work has officially begun to rebuild Willyama High School in the Far West region of New South Wales, over 850 days after a mould outbreak was discovered. The project marks a significant milestone for the community, with students, staff, members of the education department, and politicians gathering at the site to witness the sod being turned. The rebuild is expected to cost between $90 million and $100 million.
The demolition of the high school started in 2025 but faced delays in September due to the discovery of friable asbestos. Following the completion of the demolition in December, the site now consists of dirt, fenced-off mounds of rubble, and a basketball court beneath a shelter. However, this situation is set to change soon, according to Peter Macbeth, the NSW Department of Education director of public schools.
“We’ll see those graders and excavators roll in and getting things happen in the next few weeks,” he said. It is understood that “modular components” of the new school are being prepared in Melbourne. While no official timeline has been given for when concrete will be poured, Broken Hill Mayor Tom Kennedy expressed optimism about the progress made.
“I know all these projects have delays and they’re unavoidable. We’d hope that they don’t and you’d hope that they could give a date, but there’s nothing worse, from a community perspective, of a date’s given and then it’s not delivered on that date,” he said. Cr Kennedy emphasized that the sod turning last week was a step forward, formalizing the fact that a new school will be built.
“A lot of the modular components would be already well on their way,” he added. “First the foundations will go down, which takes time, but once that’s done you will see it progress really quickly.”
Challenging Times for Students and Staff
Since 2024, more than 600 students and staff have been housed at the city’s other high school, leading to challenging conditions. Acting Willyama High School principal Rebecca Milsteed shared her hopes for the new school.
“It’s been challenging times,” she said. “We’re two different schools, two different cultures. But coming together, we’ve done a lot of work … we’re all Department of Education employees and students and we work together to make sure that our children get the best opportunities.”
Ms Milsteed highlighted the collaboration between school staff, the community, and the design team, which provided valuable feedback throughout the process. She expressed optimism about the new facilities that the school will offer.
“I’m hopeful that it’s going to be a beautiful school that has a lot of new facilities that we might not have had before,” she said.
A World-Class Educational Facility
Mr Macbeth described the new school as “absolute world-class.” He emphasized that the project will be a game-changer for public education in the region, creating an environment that supports students in Broken Hill.
“The environment that it will create for our students out in Broken Hill,” he said, highlighting the importance of the new facility for the local community. The project represents not just a physical rebuild but a commitment to providing students with better educational opportunities and a safer learning environment.
