Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name)

Location: 299 Williamstown Rd Port Melbourne 3207 (interim address)

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Find out more about the kindergarten at Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name).

New School

Start
Q2 2023
Planning
Design
Construction
Open
Q1 2026

The above dates are forecast only and subject to change.

About the project

We are building a new primary school in Port Melbourne. It will open in 2026 with places for up to 650 students. This will help the growing local population get a great education close to home. The school will open for enrolments for students in Prep to Year 6.

Once complete, the school will include:

a 3-storey learning neighbourhood with rooftop terrace

a 2-storey learning neighbourhood

a community hub with gym, music room and rooftop court

a grassed playing field

a playground

a kindergarten (opening 2027).

Principal appointment

Tim Sawalaga has been appointed principal of Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name). This new school will open in Term 1, 2026. Tim has over 15 years of experience in schools. He is committed to creating a positive school culture which prioritises the learning and wellbeing of students. He is passionate about innovation and collaboration. Tim looks forward to building an inclusive school where every student can thrive as a great learner and valued member of the community.

Funding

In the 2023–24 State Budget the school received a share of $573.178 million

Funding type

New School

Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name) – context map

This is a map showing the site for the new Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name) within the local area.
The school is located with:
- Smith Street to the left
- Tarver Street at the top
- Salmon Street to the right
- Williamstown Road at the bottom.
Further to the right, between Williamstown Road and Plummer Street, is:
- JL Murphy Reserve
- AT Aaneson Oval
- JM Woodruff Oval
- JL Murphy Reserve Playground
- Port Melbourne Secondary College.
Port Melbourne Primary School is also labelled in the bottom-right corner of this map.
Download context map

Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name) – indicative site plan

This image shows the indicative site plan for Fishermans Bend Primary School (interim name).
The roads labelled on the site plan are:
- Tarver Street at the top
- Salmon Street to the right
- Williamstown Road at the bottom
- Smith Street to the left.
The plan shows the buildings and facilities marked up in different colours. These different colours indicate the delivery schedule.
The green buildings and facilities are in the top part of the site plan and will be open on Day 1, 2026.
There is a two storey learning neighbourhood that contains:
- administration
- classrooms
- a collaboration space
- toilets
- a staff room.
The kindergarten will open in this building in 2027.
There is an outdoor terrace attached to this building. To the right there is a grassed playing field and below both is the playground.
The blue building is at the bottom of the site plan and is Stage 2 in the delivery schedule, meaning it will open after day 1. It is a three storey building that contains:
- administration and library
- classrooms
- rooftop terrace.
The orange building is at the right of the site plan and is Stage 3 in the delivery schedule, meaning it will also open after day 1. It is the community hub and contains:
- gym
- canteen
- music room
- toilets
- change rooms
- rooftop terrace court.
The parking, Kiss & Go, and bus drop off zone is on Smith Street, to the left of the site plan. There are 2 entrances to the school grounds on Smith Street, and there will be an entrance to the community hub from Williamstown Road.
Download site plan

Frequently asked questions

- We are building the school in the Fishermans Bend area of Port Melbourne.
- Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal project. Fishermans Bend will be made up of 5 precincts.
- The school will be in the Wirraway precinct. This precinct is being planned as a family-friendly neighbourhood.
- The interim address for the school is 299 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, 3207. The final street address will be confirmed before the school opens.
- Visit the Fishermans Bend website for more information.
- Many factors, including population forecasting, help choose where new schools are built.
- Fishermans Bend will become a rapid growth area for families as the precinct develops. This will create added demand for school places.
- The Fishermans Bend Framework (2018)(opens in a new window) guides the long-term planning for the area. It set out the general location for a new school.
- We looked for potential locations for the school in this area. We considered transport, accessibility, cost and connections across a number of sites.
- The area will change over the coming years as more development occurs. This includes more open space and transport infrastructure. The design of the school will align with this.
- The school site is located within easy walking distance to Port Melbourne Secondary College and JL Murphy Reserve.
- The school will have places for up to 650 students, from Prep to Year 6, when complete.
- We’re designing the school to meet the 21st century learning needs of students. It has an innovative vertical design to reflect the inner-city location.
- Once complete, the school will include:
  a 3-storey learning neighbourhood with rooftop terrace
  a 2-storey learning neighbourhood
  a community hub with gym, music room and rooftop court
  a grassed playing field
  a playground
  a kindergarten (opening 2027).
- When complete the school will include a playground at ground level, grassed playing field, outdoor learning terraces as well as a rooftop terraces. The school will also include a gymnasium with an indoor and rooftop playing courts.
- Landscaping will include planting trees to provide shade.
- We are building Fishermans Bend Primary School Kindergarten (interim name) at the school.
- The kindergarten will open in 2027 and will have at least 2 kindergarten rooms.
- Road and pedestrian safety surrounding the new school will be a focus for the Department of Transport and Planning and other key delivery agencies, including the City of Port Phillip. We are working closely with these agencies on the proposed upgrades.
- The Department of Transport and Planning is prioritising transport and streetscape upgrades along Smith Street with the City of Port Phillip and a new signalised pedestrian crossing across Williamstown Road at the intersection with Smith Street to provide safe access to the school. For more information visit fishermansbend.vic.gov.au.
- New school enrolment boundaries are released the year before the school opens. The 2026 school zones will be available at findmyschool.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window) by April 2025.
- A principal will be appointed the year before the school opens. Details on how to enrol will be available after that.
- We appointed a builder to this project in November 2024. The first step is to demolish the existing building. We expect major construction work to start in early 2025.
- We are building this school in stages. We are focusing on key buildings to cater for the school’s initial enrolments:
  The first stage will open for day 1, Term 1 2026. It includes a learning neighbourhood with classrooms, a collaboration space, toilets, staff room, administration and playground.
  The second stage includes a 3-storey learning neighbourhood with administration and library, classrooms and rooftop terrace. We expect to complete this stage by mid-2026.
  The third stage includes the community hub with gym, canteen, music room, toilets, change rooms and rooftop playing court. We expect to complete this stage by mid-2026.
- We have been consulting with the local council (City of Port Phillip) and the Department of Transport and Planning throughout the planning of this project.
- We will notify neighbouring properties about construction in advance of major works starting.
- Former industrial land, including Fishermans Bend, is being redeveloped with renewal projects to accommodate future urban growth.
- The site is within an Environmental Audit Overlay. This means we must conduct an environmental audit prior to land being used for a ‘sensitive use’. A ‘sensitive use’ includes housing, a primary school or an early childhood centre.
- We will complete testing before and after demolition to confirm the site is safe.
- We will continue environmental monitoring throughout construction.
- Before the school opens, we will seek a Statement of Environmental Audit to confirm the site is suitable for a school.
- Creating the new Fishermans Bend Primary School zone will change neighbouring school zones.
- When determining school zones, current and future demand is considered along with capacity across the school network.
- The Department of Education discusses changes to school zones with affected schools and will continue to work with them as they support their communities.
- Every student has a right to enrol at their local school. If the student lives within the school zone, they must be offered a place when seeking enrolment.
- No student currently enrolled at an existing school will have to move because of a change to the school’s zone.
- The 2026 school zones will be available at findmyschool.vic.gov.au by April 2025.
- Families can also apply to enrol their child at any government school that is not their local school. The school can accept the out-of-zone enrolment if the school has capacity.

Updated 4 February 2025