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A spokesman from the NSW Department of Education has said because the government was in caretaker mode he did not want to enter into a political debate and would provide a background on this issue only.
"Firstly, we are unsure where the amount of $5 million came from as the Department has never discussed an amount that could come from the sale of this property," he said.
"The reason is that the Armidale Secondary College project was never dependent on the sale of any land.
"Secondly, the Department has no plans at this stage for the future of the Duval site once the Armidale Secondary College is completed."
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While Rayne Single joined attended a small rally trying to save the old Duval High School from being sold off on Monday afternoon, the Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said any report that the government planned to sell off the school was a complete work of fiction.
However, once that's done they're going to close Duval and sell the land off.
- Rayne Single
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party candidate for Northern Tablelands Rayne Single joined a small group of protesters outside the Armidale Secondary College campus in an attempt to keep what was Duval High School open.
"I'm up here with a couple of concerned locals about the closure of Duval High," he said.
"It's currently being utilised by all the high school students as Armidale high is being demolished and then being constructed into the new Armidale Secondary College campus.
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"However, once that's done they're going to close Duval and sell the land off. As far as I am aware, they haven't changed their plans and I think $5 million was the sum they were looking at selling this land for which I reckon is undervalued."
Mr Single said he would like to see Duval high kept and utilised because losing its campus would remove options for parents and reduce public assets for the future.
... my very strong view and my preference as the local Member would be to keep that land in public hands ...
- Adam Marshall
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said there had been absolutely no discussions and no decisions made about the future of the Duval campus. He thought the site should be kept "up our sleeve" for future generations.
"If people are thinking about what should be done with the campus, my very strong view and my preference as the local Member would be to keep that land in public hands," Mr Marshall said.
"You never know, in two maybe three decades we may very well need another high school in Armidale. If that is the case, it would be great to have that site sitting in the "top drawer" because there would be no other site like it in 20 to 30 years time in Armidale in the middle of the city.
"In the meantime, it could be leased or hired or used for other activities. But those discussions will take place probably in the next 12 to 18 months, and the views of the community and of the council would be central to the decision making process."