Yass High students gain insights in to inner workings of development
On Friday 18 March, a group of students from Yass High’s Year 12 Geography Class visited the Ginninderry project for a chance to see how the development is being brought to life.
The students are studying urban development as part of their curriculum and took the opportunity to visit the cross-border project, the NSW component of which will see a large new community develop in the Yass Valley over the next 40 years.
The students received a briefing at the Kippax project office and then proceeded to battle the elements in order to inspect some major components of the site, including the landfill site, the Parkwood Rd area and surveyed the River Corridor from the vantage point of Shepherd’s Lookout. The visit ended at Strathnairn, near the location of the first suburb, where the students had an engaging question & answer session with the Project Manager and Ginninderry Joint Venture Managing Director, David Maxwell.
The students quizzed Mr Maxwell about the Ginninderry project on issues ranging from sustainability aspects of the development, the Conservation Trust that will manage the river corridor, the likely prices of houses and the governance arrangements for the people living on the NSW side of the development.
The Q&A offered a lively and energetic discussion, with Mr Maxwell stating afterwards that it was fantastic to see such engagement with not only the project specifically, but also urban development issues more broadly.
Student Edward Hinch, who attended the excursion, said it provided a rare opportunity for the students to familiarise themselves with the inner workings of a project of such proportions.
“The prospect of a forty year long development is certainly nothing to scoff at, and it’s sheer complexity will be fascinating to see unfold over my generation’s lifetime,” Mr Hinch said.
Geography teacher, Brendan Roberts, said that it is important for students to engage with projects that would have long term and potentially far reaching effects.
“Giving learning context and relevance is so important in Geography, and interactions with projects such as Parkwood are integral for students who will be the leaders of our communities in the future,” Mr Roberts noted.
