Turn Victoria Barracks into a public school – and future-proof Southbank

As a Southbank parent, I look around our neighbourhood and see cranes, apartments and density everywhere. What I don’t see is the one thing families need most: a walkable, non-selective public secondary school.

I believe we need to transform it into a government Prep–Year 12 school and community hub for Southbank.

Southbank’s population has doubled in a decade to more than 22,600 residents. Thousands of families now live in high-density apartments. Yet in a suburb built for growth, families remain underrepresented – not because parents don’t want to live here, but because the infrastructure to support them simply isn’t in place.

When children reach school age, many families face a practical choice: relocate or endure traffic and commutes to access public education.

Some will argue that schools already exist nearby. Technically, that may be true. Practically, they are not embedded in the daily walking life of Southbank families; or they are selective or independent in nature. In dense urban environments, proximity and accessibility are everything. Without them, communities struggle to retain families long term.

If we are serious about planning for the future, we must match residential growth with real social infrastructure. Southbank does not need more high-rises. It needs anchors. And schools are anchors.

Victoria Barracks already has the foundations to make this possible – while preserving heritage rather than erasing it.

The site includes:

1. Significant greenspace suitable for sports fields and playgrounds
2. Existing tennis courts
3. Larger structures that could be repurposed into classrooms, a gymnasium or auditorium
4. On-site cafeteria facilities
5. Secure entry points adaptable for safe drop-off and pick-up
6. Staff parking
7. A childcare centre next door

Its location is unmatched:

1. Walking distance to the Tan Track and Royal Botanic Gardens for sport and environmental programs
2. Proximity to the NGV for arts education
3. A central, highly walkable position with multiple tram stops nearby

This is not about building from scratch on vacant land. It is about adaptive reuse of an established site in the heart of an established community.

Beyond education, a Prep–Year 12 campus would become Southbank’s civic heart.

One campus means continuity. Children could begin in Prep and graduate in Year 12 without disruption. Older students could mentor younger ones. Leadership pathways would be embedded across all year levels. The often-stressful transition from primary to secondary school would disappear.

For families with multiple children, it would mean one drop-off, one community and one set of relationships lasting more than a decade. With childcare facilities already nearby, the site offers a rare “three-in-one” ecosystem for working parents.

Outside school hours, the facilities could host:

1. Before and after-school care
2. Weekend sport programs
3. Markets and book fairs
4. School holiday programs
5. Community festivals
6. Public access to playgrounds and green space

In a high-density suburb with limited open space, that shared infrastructure would benefit the entire community.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for state and federal governments to demonstrate what coordinated urban planning looks like; aligning density with education, heritage preservation and long-term civic life.

Creating a public school at Victoria Barracks would encourage long-term residency over transient apartment living. It would attract and retain families, diversify the demographic mix and strengthen local businesses that depend on stable, year-round patronage.

Cities that prioritise education infrastructure build resilience. They invest in people, not just property. They turn prime land into public good.

We have built the density. Now we must build the community.

Thank you,

Vicky da Gama - Southbank resident