HAWKESBURY Council has welcomed plans to relocate Hurlstone Agricultural High School to Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury campus.
The new school buildings are planned for completion by 2020.
Hawkesbury Mayor Kim Ford said the high school students would have access to the university’s agricultural and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) faculties, including its farmland.
‘‘This is great news for the Hawkesbury and the people of western Sydney,’’ Mayor Ford said.
‘‘The state government’s announcement acknowledges the importance of supporting agricultural education in a region that still contains farmland and green spaces close to Sydney.’’
Agriculture has always been a key industry in the Hawkesbury and it is a driver of the state’s economy.
The Hawkesbury has supplied food to Sydney since European settlement and today is the leading turf and perishable vegetables producer in the greater Sydney region.
Mayor Ford said relocating Hurlstone High School to Hawkesbury was consistent with Council’s vision for the future and its Hawkesbury Horizons Initiative.
‘‘The addition of a selective educational institution like this one will help Hawkesbury maintain its vital role in developing the agricultural industry of the future,’’ he said.
‘‘It will also be good for the local economy as it will open up employment opportunities and provide outstanding educational opportunities for our young people.’’
