Council's roadblocks sideswipe Steiner School parents

It had been three years of hard work and planning and in 2020 parents of the new Mossman Steiner School believed the doors would open at the historic old Girl Guides Hall. Then without warning the parent’s dreams were dashed by the Douglas Shire Council.

Council appeared to previously have been throwing support behind the initiative, heralding in 2020: “An exciting new chapter will open up for the Douglas Shire community with a new [Steiner] school to commence in 2021”.

By this time, enrolments were high, a gifted teacher had been headhunted and children were beyond excited about starting their new school.

Yet, without warning the plans began to fall apart when Council sideswiped parents with a new order that could threaten the existence of this long-anticipated educational facility.

The Girl Guides Hall was zoned for Community use. Before the school could operate the land needed to be rezoned Educational, which is potentially a huge task and costly.

“We feel really let down,” said Amber Stevenson, President of the Tropical North Steiner School (TNSS).

While this seemed challenging, Council told the TNSS that before rezoning could be approved there was another hurdle. The road they’d been driving on for the past five years was illegal. Now the parents began to worry that the school’s doors would never open. From what the TNSS understands parents will be expected to take a different route to drop children off.

“I couldn’t believe it, I was so frustrated, and we were only told in late 2021,” said Stevenson.

Three new access options have been offered by Council. A new road that requires permission from the Department of Main Roads and Transport or access via a carpark, with permission from a Kindergarten and Council.

The final option being: "Rear access via a gravel road which is an informal track crossing two Council reserves which requires approval from Department of Resources," according to a Council Spokesperson.

As Stevenson comments, “what they call a road is nothing more than a grassy track.”

Now the parents are facing a huge dilemma and rising costs and still, their children are not getting the education they’d hoped for.

Moving the goalpost

Steiner Schools offer education through nurturing artistic and creative play often using nature as a tool of discovery.

The land the parents had identified back in 2017 was perfect. Surrounded by rainforest, this site would allow the children to play, learn and grow.

Now the parents feel lost and betrayed after what they see as Council moving the goalposts. “We’ve been told by Council that such and such a problem is fixable, then it’s not fixable, then maybe they've changed their minds.”

However, there seems to be deep support for the project: "Douglas Shire Council is excited about a Steiner school opening in Mossman as it will provide another education option for residents in the Shire.

As a Councillor for Douglas Shire, Abigail Noli has been a long-time supporter of the project and has been in email contact with a representative of the parent’s committee.

“Understandably, starting a school would have a mired of hurdles, but there are steps that must be undertaken regarding requirements from Council. It would be impossible for anyone to foresee all the steps and now the Steiner School committee appears to be encountering some of those unforeseen obstacles”.

While reaching out to the committee, the Councillor stated that she has already, and can provide further assistance in navigating the Council if the parents contact her again.

After a “few quick emails”, to date, “no further requests for assistance have been made,” said Noli.

“We need to know what is happening and it’s costing us $600 a month. As parents, we feel lost. Are we wasting our time and money?" asked Stevenson. "We just need clarity.”