Public School Push: Petition urges expansion of Ocean Grove campus

AN Ocean Grove mother of two is hoping to resume the conversation of a second public secondary school campus on the Bellarine, with hundreds showing support by signing a petition within a fortnight.

Clare Holohan has launched the community campaign for Bellarine Secondary College campuses to both expand and have classes from Year 7 to 12.

The school currently hosts Years 7 and 8 at Shell Road, Ocean Grove, while Years 9-12 are at Peninsula Drive just outside Drysdale.

Bellarine Liberal candidate Donnie Grigau pledged $20 million to expand Bellarine Secondary College to two 7-12 campuses during the state election campaign last year, before Labor’s Alison Marchant won the seat.

Ms Holohan said she expected the reaction she has received regarding her petition, which had 307 signatures on Wednesday (January 25).

“The school mums’ WhatsApp group that I’m in blew up with excitement when the initial announcement was made last year, it has been something my husband Edward [Gordon] and I have been talking about for a long time,” she said.

“From there, I knew it was certainly of interest within the community and is something that I will be promoting every couple of weeks to continue to gauge where the community is at with this.”

Ms Holohan has two children in Grade 1 and Grade 2, both attending Ocean Grove Primary School.

As Bellarine Secondary is structured, if she was to send her children to the school they would spend four years on packed buses to Drysdale to attend the region’s only public secondary school.

“If both campuses were to expand to Years 7-12, it would certainly decrease the congestion that kids experience on buses, most of which are standing,” Ms Holohan added.

“It would also have environmental benefits too, as more kids in Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads could start making their own way to school. The same could also be said for Drysdale campus students too.”

Bellarine Secondary’s annual report from the end of 2021 stated the Bellarine region’s population “[was] experiencing significant growth, with the establishment of new housing estates and a population that is increasing dramatically”, and that it had a student enrolment of 1278 students.

A Department of Education spokesperson said this week that it had no current plans to expand the Bellarine school sites.

“The Department monitors current enrolments and population projections and works with local authorities and other organisations to ensure there are enough school places for the future.

“Students in Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads are currently catered for by their designated neighbourhood government secondary school, Bellarine Secondary College.”

Other than conversations had with candidates during the state and federal elections, Ms Holohan has yet to formally bring her petition to Geelong council, Bellarine Labor MP Alison Marchant, or Corangamite Labor MP Libby Coker.

Ms Holohan’s petition can be found at www.change.org/p/we-need-a-year-7-12-secondary-school-for-ocean-grove