ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
One of Betoota’s most exclusive private schools has revealed plans this morning to build a second airport after taking into account the extra income derived from restarting classes before June 1.
The Whooton School for Boys in Betoota Grove, as well as many other private and Catholic schools around the country, will be handballed piles of public cash in the form of a “financial reward” to restart classroom teaching within four weeks.
The School’s principal spoke to The Advocate this morning in a rare interview with the media where he explained why he chose to restart classroom learning from next week.
“Our current airport facilities at Whooton are shockingly out-of-date,” he said.
“Whooton’s Aerodrome was built in the 20s and not much has changed since. While both runways were upgraded in 2006 to accommodate the A380 and 777, we feel a second airport here at Whooton is the best solution for our boys and the wider Whooton family moving forward,”
“Finding the funds to secure the project have proven difficult to source. We’ve largely exhausted the voluntary building fund, which parents can elect pay on top of the tuition and boarding feeds. But now that the Federal Government is willing to give us appallingly large amounts of money for essentially doing him a favour, our dream of building a second airport here at Whooton has now become a reality.”
However, the news has been met with widespread condemnation from the school’s neighbours.
The new aerodrome, which will include a new terminal, metro station and 4000 space carpark is to be built along Rochester Street in Betoota Grove between Avenue Circuit and Street Lane Road.
The town’s planning committee is meeting on June 6 to discuss the issue and all affected parties are encouraged to attend.
More to come.
