Williams Landing residents cry out for a school and community hub

Date: 
Saturday, 1 July, 2017

It's tough trying to build a community without books or a school to teach you how to read them.

More than 6600 people live in Williams Landing, the 275-hectare Cedar Woods development in Wyndham in Melbourne's west – one of the fastest growing municipalities in Victoria.

Ankit Tandon and Richa Nagpal are concerned about the lack of educational facilities in Williams Landing for their son Riyaan. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Resident Kaivalya Jani, an Indian migrant, is concerned by his suburb's rapid growth rate. The population is forecast to rise to more than 10,600 people in 2036, with 100 new apartments and townhouses now under construction, adding to the new 57-unit Newton Apartments.

But there's no school, library or community centre – the kind of infrastructure that makes a housing development feel more like a community.

When Mr Jani's two-year-old starts school, it will take him about an hour to walk her to the closest government one, in Laverton.

"We feel sort of trapped. When we bought here we were told there was a proposal for a local school," he said.

"We haven't said that we are leaving yet but, if things don't go our way, then we will have to get out. A fair few people we know have already left."

When Ankit Tandon bought land in Williams Landing in 2010 he was lured by plans for a train station there.

The train station came, but now, with a 17-month-old and another one on the way, he is concerned there is no community hub or school.

He is furious about a recent council decision to approve a multi-million dollar new sports reserve, including two ovals, six tennis courts and a sports pavilion, when residents are crying out for basic community infrastructure.

"These are basic needs."

Wyndham councillor Aaron An said a growing number of Indian and Chinese migrants in the community were desperate for more community-oriented services.

"I think that we have a lot of new immigrants from the other side of Melbourne or interstate or from overseas, and socialisation is a problem and currently the residents don't have a proper place to meet."

A spokesperson for Cedar Woods said there was an "abundance of schools" in areas surrounding Williams Landing and residents had access to a train station, parks, commuter carparks, child care, medical services and a supermarket.

The state government built Truganina P-9 College in 2015, less than 10 kilometres from Williams Landing, and is funding a school in Truganina East.

A Victorian Education Department spokesman said the organisation was working with the Wyndham City Council to "ease traffic issues impacting Williams Landing residents accessing local schools".

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