Funding boost for new Arden high school welcomed but questions remain on timeline

The Victorian Government has confirmed new funding to secure land for a much-needed high school in the Arden precinct, however questions remain about how soon a new school will actually open its doors.

As part of its 2025-26 budget, the government says $1 million has been allocated from the Precincts and Activity Centres Planning Fund “to identify sites for new schools in areas experiencing population growth and aligning with new housing developments,” including in Arden.

The Arden Structure Plan already outlines plans for a new primary school in the precinct, and calls have been mounting for years for the government to follow suit with a badly-needed secondary school.

Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll said the investment was about preparing for growth in one of Melbourne’s newest neighbourhoods, which will be home to around 20,000 residents by 2051 and is set to be one of the city’s most connected areas with the Arden Metro Tunnel Station opening next year.

“Arden is one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing precincts – and we’re making sure families moving into the area have access to a great local high school,” Mr Carroll said.

The funding announcement has been broadly welcomed as an overdue sign the government is finally moving to address a major gap in the city’s education planning. For years, local families and advocates have argued that at least one new high school in the area is vital to relieve growing pressure on surrounding schools.

University High School, which is the main secondary school for Docklands and North Melbourne, is already operating at capacity and has had to lease space in the CBD for a Year 9 campus – a move some parents have labelled a “band-aid” solution.

Docklands Primary School, only opened in 2021, has itself had to expand into a second leased campus at The District Docklands shopping centre just a few years after opening due to surging enrolments.

While the new funding commitment is seen as an important step towards making the Arden high school a reality, it has also renewed questions about timing and certainty.

Member for Melbourne Ellen Sandell has long called for the government to move beyond reactive planning. She welcomed the allocation for land acquisition but pointed out that buying land is only one piece of the puzzle.

“There are still big questions about when this school will actually be built and opened – and whether it will arrive in time to help relieve the pressure on Uni High and Docklands Primary, which are already bursting at the seams,” she said.

Parents and community advocates share that view, urging the government to move quickly from planning to delivery so that families in Docklands and North and West Melbourne can have certainty about where their children will go to school.

While the government insists it is planning for the city’s future growth – and touts its overall track record of delivering 100 new schools by 2026 – for many local families it is the next steps that matter most.

They want not just funding for land, but a clear timeline for when the new Arden high school will be funded, designed and built – and for assurances that it will be large enough to meet the growing demand in Melbourne’s booming inner north. •