Canberra Girls Grammar School seeks long-term lease of Deakin's Latrobe Park

Canberra Girls Grammar School hopes to lease Deakin’s major public park for up to three decades.

The school will inject about $1 million into Latrobe Park if the ACT government approves a 25- to 30-year lease of the site.

The money would fund a soccer pitch, a 300-metre running track and new toilets and change-room facilities.

Canberra Girls Grammar would like “preferential right” to access the field during school hours if the project proceeds, according to a proposal shared with the Deakin Residents’ Association.

But the school says it would not have exclusive access to the park, which is located across the road on Bedford Street, and would not charge the public for use of the site’s facilities.

The school has held off formally approaching the ACT government about the request ahead of community consultation, including a public meeting this week.

Principal Anne Coutts said the school did not want exclusive use of the site.

“We don’t want to at all stop the community using it,” she said.

“The whole idea is upgrading it for community use. We envision community teams wanting to play there as well.”

Ms Coutts said the school currently used the run-down oval on a casual basis.

“It’s not in a good state,” she said. “We want to upgrade it. If we’re going to do that, we need to put it on slightly more formal footing and have a lease so we get recognition of the upkeep.”

If successful, the school also plans to install a 450-metre fence around the site, upgrade the barbecue and picnic area, provide seating via a terraced retaining wall and upgrade the site’s maintenance sheds.

Canberra Girls Grammar will also cover the field’s maintenance costs and is interested in using a storage depot located between the park and the Latrobe Park Scout Hall.

Deakin Residents’ Association secretary Richard Thwaites said long-term public access to Latrobe Park, the only large public park in Deakin, was the main concern among residents ahead of the meeting.

“Residents generally welcome an opportunity for the facilities proposed,” he said.

“The general concern is whether there is a risk to the long-term future of the park as open public space.

“We won’t be adopting a final position on [the proposal] until after that meeting.”

Mr Thwaites said he was pleased the school had consulted the community before seeking a lease.

Ms Coutts said Thursday’s forum would allow residents to find out more about the proposal and ask questions.

 The school would move forward with the project if it received community backing.

“It very much depends on how residents feel about it,” she said.

The community information session will be held at the school, off Melbourne Avenue, from 7pm on Thursday, May 12.

The proposed lease is not the school’s only foray into property. Canberra Girls Grammar School bought two waterfront development sites in Yarralumla Bay for $1.78 million in October, 2014.