Feb 19 2002 – Noor Al Houda Islamic College is facing eviction from its current premises on Bankstown Airport. The eviction notice is part of an ongoing campaign by Bankstown Airport to remove the College.
Noor Al Houda discovered in 1998 that the Airport had knowingly withheld knowledge that the site offered to the College was located directly on top of a former waste dump, with contamination. When the College was informed, they were told that they could obtain a 25 year lease which had been sought by the College since its inception, but with the condition that they accept all costs associated with the testing, removal and replacement of contaminated material on the site. Since that time Noor Al Houda has attempted to find an alternate location without success.
After considerably lobbying for government support in this critical situation, the College was offered the surplus site at Byron Rd. Guildford. The site was close to most of the student population, was owned by the Department of Community Services, had been used as an orphanage for most of the twentieth century and had been vacant for 2 years.
The College spent a considerable amount of time and money in preparing all associated reports as to the sites suitability. With a locally valued heritage site on the property, the College devised plans to ensure the repair and maintenance of the heritage building and its availability to the local community.
After receiving keys and a lease from the NSW State Government the College notified staff and parents of the planned move only to discover within days that the Minister for Western Sydney, Kim Yeadon had announced in a press release that all negotiations with the school would cease. Minister Yeadon had never engaged in any dialogue with the school, and indicated publicly that he had been misinformed as to the contamination of the site.
The College has not been given the opportunity to explain to the Minister that the Federal Government refuses to list the contaminated site with the Environment Protection Authority, and that the College has soil reports from reputable companies that indicate high levels of pesticides and heavy metals in specific areas.
The State Government has now offered Noor Al Houda a number of industrial sites, none of which are suitable for immediate relocation. Eviction proceedings will conclude at the beginning of March and the school Principal, Mrs. Silma Ihram has stated that she will not move from the site until a suitable alternative location is found.