A group of Metricup landowners have raised concerns over the proposed development of a school campus in the area, citing environmental, traffic and safety issues around the location.
The Ivy School has been slated for a property at 369/409 Gale Road in Metricup, with founder Sabrina Liu planning to start enrolments in 2026, and the campus expected to reach a peak of 800 enrolments by 2030.
Following news of the planned school, residents formed the Upper Carbunup River Protection Group (UCRPG), representing 23 rural properties in the area.
Members Martin Staines and Kathy Sassoon said locals did not oppose a school in the area, but were concerned whether the lot was suitable.
"The group consists of about 45 people downstream from the proposed school," Ms Sassoon said.
"We are farmers, hobby farmers and residents united in their care and concern for the river."
Among the issues raised by the group were safety concerns over the current rural operations that take place in the area, and the potential danger during a bushfire.
"There are 13 sandpits within five kilometres of the property, it's an industrial route with tonnes of gravel and sand moving every day in trucks," Ms Sassoon said.
"Increasing passenger traffic along the road, during school drop off times and with buses, teachers, parents coming and going - the potential for an accident is high.
"We are in a bushfire prone area, and from the block there is only one direction you can exit, so if there is a bushfire coming from that direction you're left with a huge task, trying to evacuate a thousand people."
Noise, light and water pollution have also been flagged, with impacts on cockatoo populations and other wildlife a concern for neighbours.
The Ivy School's Sabrina Liu said reasonable feasibility studies on the land and environment had been conducted to minimise any impact to nature.
"We aim to align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), hence will be working with the local government and environmental bodies, building and construction consultants to make sure that the school's principles are also aligned with the construction of the school," Ms Liu told the Mail.
She said the safety concerns outlined by the UCRPG had already been identified.
According to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation website, the Carbunup River has been identified as an important nursery for the Western pygmy perch and home to a large population of Carter's freshwater mussel.
"The Carbunup River is of cultural and historic significance to the Wadandi people and several sites of significance occur within the catchment," the website states.
"The [river] is characterised by thick vegetation through much of the riparian zone. Riparian vegetation provides habitat for a diversity of native fauna including small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians."
Residents say a flood in August last year saw about half the property underwater, and with a limited building parcel on the land, annual flooding of the block would render most of it unsuitable for development.
But Ms Liu said "in regards to natural disasters, all of the risks mentioned have been flagged, and will be mitigated according to government regulations".
Group members also said they held concerns over the treatment and disposal of effluent, given the site was unsewered and located several kilometres from the nearest sewage pipes or treatment facilities.
"A school of 1000 students could generate up to 84,000 litres of effluent daily - you've got toilets, showers, cleaning, food preparation, science classes, run off from carparks," Ms Sassoon said.
"There is no deep sewerage, no pipes to link up to, so rural blocks have to deal with it onsite. A development of this size would need its own treatment plant onsite and with the way the property floods there aren't many options to build one. The only solution that would appear to work would have it flow into the Carbunup River."
UCRPG members Liz and Ken Orr said they had worked closely with GeoCatch to protect the river as it transected their property, and won an award for those efforts.
"It would be a travesty to see the health of the river go backwards due to inappropriate development," Mr Orr said.
City of Busselton Director Planning and Development Services Paul Needham said it was too early to comment on the matter without relevant lodgements.
"No application for development approval has yet been lodged," Mr Needham said.
"If and when an application is lodged, consultation with the community and a range of State Government agencies would occur before the application could be assessed and determined."
Ms Sassoon said the UCRPG would continue to advocate for the protection of the land and urged Ms Liu to reconsider the location.
"Wouldn't it be better to build the school where the land is being rehabilitated? What a wonderful opportunity to rehabilitate old farmland, a mining site, and really truly promote conservation and revegetation programs," she said.
"If the community wants and needs this school development, please work with the council to find an appropriate location."
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