Volunteers lobby for a new school in Central Coast, NSW
By Brian Milroy
Central Coast mother of three, Kirsten Hawkes loves living at Kariong. The only problem was that the town didn't have its own high school when she moved there in 1989 with her husband Steve and first child, one-year-old Kelly. Although the Hawkes were told a high school was on the agenda, it was to take another 20 years of battling bureaucracy for it to happen. Finally, in 2009 the Government informed the Kariong community that a high school had been approved and would be built by 2010 at Mt Penang.
The success of the campaign to get their own high school is due mainly to the efforts of the Kariong Mountains High School Committee (KMHSC) which was set up in 2002 with Kirsten as their chairperson. It followed 11 years of campaigning by locals.
Kirsten's dedication to the cause resulted in her being named the Central Coast Volunteer of the Year in 2008. The award is given by The Centre For Volunteering, NSW's peak body for promoting and supporting volunteering and community participation.
The success of their mother's work with the committee comes too late for young Kelly Hawkes (now 21) andr her younger brother and sister to benefit from having their own high school, but for their mum, Kirsten, it was a battle well fought by the community as a whole. "A survey by the local progress association showed that kids want their own school. It gives them a sense of their own identity and their place in the
local community," Kirsten said.
According to Kirsten, the existing Kariong Public School, which consists of infant and primary schools, is the biggest in the state on the smallest block of land. "It was built for a maximum of 300 students and currently has about 700 to 800," she said.
"It got so crowded two or three years ago they had to stagger recess and lunch times between the two schools so the playground did not get overcrowded. At that time, the volunteer canteen staff had to work four shifts just to get through the different lunch times. Things are back to normal now. There are also five pre-schools with waiting lists operating in the area. This gives you some idea about the growth of young families in the district. "Where were all these kids going to go if they didn't have their own high school?"
"The new high school will give them the chance to progress through their school years normally with a minimum of disruption caused by unnecessary travel and resettling."
The battle for the high school got serious with the establishment of the KMHSC in 2003 after the local state MP Marie Andrews raised the hopes of the Kariong residents by giving a clear commitment that a school would be built if the right location could be found. "Following the election it soon became apparent to the committee that the promise was never intended to be taken seriously," Kirsten said.
"Suddenly there was a rush of political leaders retracting statements and manipulating information, now stating that there was no clear need for a high school in the area."
It became clear to Kirsten and the KMHSC that they had a real battle on their hands. They immediately set a clear goal that a high school for Kariong and the surrounding area would be built, come what may. Her initiative and determination encouraged committee members and together they began what would become a six-year campaign.
Since MP Marie Andrews's commitment to the project appeared to hinge on finding the right location, a community meeting on the subject resulted in a large number of volunteers wanting to join a committee to search for suitable land.
"The subject of the right land and location became a real issue in 2003 when an offer of land on Woy Woy Road was made by a local developer, " Kirsten said. "Although this location was deemed to be unsuitable, the offer really spurred everyone on in the search for the right land.
"You have to understand that, for years, just about every move we made was either dismissed or blocked by local authorities. Something always seemed to be standing in the way, comments were withdrawn and documents were withheld from the committee. The worst of it was the long frustrating waits for meetings that had no real outcome."
Finally, the KMHSC decided to directly lobby the government. "This also presented a problem because the government didn't know the facts. "Our statistics and demographics were different to those of the government. The truth was that we had the real facts while the government only had blanket information."
"During the campaign, we went through four health ministers, Andrew Refshauge, Brendon Nelson, Carmel Tebbutt and finally John Della Bosca, who at last gave the official go-ahead for the school to be built," she said. "Every meeting we had with the ministers started out with the minister asking us to tell them all about it. We had to start all over again with every new minister."
Despite all the hurdles, Kirsten and the committee members pushed on, collecting statistics and information to support the need for a high school. Countless meetings were held to keep the wider community informed of progress and to invite suggestions and opinions on the subject. KMHSC actions also drew the attention of the media which led to many local press and radio stories and interviews with Kirsten and committee members.
Whether attending an action meeting of the locals or with a government minister, Kirsten always came well armed with folder after folder of government submissions, newspaper clippings, maps, documents and letters.
"I believe our success with John Della Bosca comes from him simply understanding that we were not going to go away and the fact that the area really did need a high school based on the statistics we presented to him."
The message the KMHS Committee has for any community action group is "Don't Give In". Kirsten emphasised: "Stick to the facts and remain true to your goals and target. This was a battle that most thought couldn't be won. This increased our resolve and our will to win, but ultimately the real winners are the children".
Kirsten was nominated for the Volunteer of the Year awards by her daughter Kelly who has witnessed her mother's dedication to the Kariong High School project for years. "While mum never worked on her own, I believe her committee members would all agree she has been the driving force behind what will be a substantial gain for the Kariong community," she said.
"I am confident that if you asked any resident in the Kariong community about Kirsten Hawkes, everyone would acknowledge her contribution and that of the committee in getting the high school built."
Kariong Mountains High School is now completed and opened at the beginning of the 2010 school year!
The Centre
for Volunteering [ABN 28 002 416 024]
Level 2, 228 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033 | E: info@volunteering.com.au | www.volunteering.com.au