For some, this second anniversary since the devastating 2022 floods is a time to reflect on how far they have come.

For students and families of Broadwater Public School it is a reminder of how little has been done.

The school of about 56 students pre-flood — now down to 42 — has sat untouched since the February-March floods in 2022.

And it seems the lack of progress is down to a monumental stuff-up.

About 15 parents gathered in the school car park to meet with State MP Richie Williamson today, Wednesday, February 28 to find out what was stalling the school rebuild.

The problem is around a development application the NSW Education Department has lodged with Richmond Valley Council for the rebuild.

“The State Government doesn’t need a DA for a hospital, police station or a school,” Mr Williamson said.

“It is state development, they have no choice but to approve it. No DA is required.”

Parents have been told the school is a porta-build which means most of it has been constructed off-site.

“I understand it’s almost completed,” Mr Williamson said. “It’s in a warehouse in Victoria.”

Mr Williamson said he will speak to the education minister about what was happening at Broadwater School.

“Council has nothing to do with this. They don’t want anything to do with this.”

The DA is dumb and unnecessary, he said.

“A DA is absolutely not required to get your kids back to school.”

For two years, Broadwater School students have been attending the Evans River K-12 School in Evans Head.

Resident David Turner said it’s a 40-minute bus journey for his children and they have to wait half an hour after school for the bus.

“Every kid used to ride to school here,” he said.

The school closure and the fencing around the overgrown grounds is a constant reminder of the flood disaster, he said.

“We want our small school back. We don’t want to travel out of town.”

Mr Turner said it was impacting families considering moving to Broadwater. One family told him they wouldn’t move to the village if there wasn’t a school there.

The education department has informed parents of the new design — they are more than happy with that — all they want is for their school, that is the heart of the community, to be rebuilt sooner rather than later.”

“You are rebuilding your own homes, you don’t need to be fighting the department to rebuild the school,” Mr Williamson said.

Broadwater Public School P&C Association secretary Emma Crethar said, “ We’ve built our homes.”

“This (the school) is the last piece of the puzzle.”

Mr Williamson said he was “100 per cent behind the parents” and said the DA needed to be withdrawn and the education department needed to get on with the rebuilding Broadwater School.

The education department was going to give parents an update on the progress today, Mr Williamson said.

“I’m going to call on the government to withdraw the DA. It’s completely pointless.”

“We were promised at the first community consultation meeting, the maximum time we’d be out of our school would be two years,” Ms Crethar said.

“For us to now be at the second anniversary of the floods and still to have no government approvals in place or a firm commencement date is a real slap in the face. 

“We are now prioritising our children’s wellbeing and education and pushing for the rebuild of Broadwater Public School to commence as soon as possible.

“Any bureaucracy that’s hindering the process needs to be addressed immediately as our kids have suffered long enough.”

“I want your kids back at school this year,” Mr Williamson said.

This article appeared on indyNR.com on 28 February 2024.