Fix the sinkhole at Callington school, parents urge SA’s Department for Education
After two and a half years, it’s time the state government sorted out a major health and safety problem at a Murraylands primary school, families say.
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Callington parents feel their school has been forgotten by the state Department for Education two and a half years after a sinkhole appeared on its oval.
The oval has been fenced off and declared out of bounds to students since December 2023, when a hole several metres wide and deep opened up near its northern boundary.
For most of the time since then, the school’s 80 children have been limited to playing on smaller patches of grass, paved areas and in a playground during recess and lunch.
They have recently started using the town oval across the road, but that has required extra staff to be rostered on, and may not be a long-term solution.
To make matters worse, the playground was already getting old and had been scheduled to be replaced – but that work has been delayed as well.
Mums Olivia Zulian, Julie Wilks and Sonia O’Malley are at their wits’ end.
“My kids have never played on the back oval,” Ms Zulian said.
“My eldest played on it in reception; he’s now in year three.”
The Department for Education had ordered surveys of the ground beneath the school and would take more soil samples during the upcoming holidays.
But no findings had yet been shared with the community.
They feared a maze of mine shafts might still run beneath the school, since a former copper mine dating back to 1848 was right over the back fence.
Ms Zulian even suggested similar sinkholes had opened up at least once in the past, begging the question: how could the department declare the rest of the school safe to occupy?
“We just want movement, we want a plan,” Ms O’Malley said.
“We want updates.”
A Department for Education spokesperson told Murray Bridge News it had engaged a range of specialist contractors to conduct “detailed geophysical investigations” at the school since the mine shaft collapse.
Work had been timed during the holidays to minimise disruption to learning.
The exclusion zone remained in place to ensure the area was safe for students and staff.
In the meantime, the department had upgraded the school’s nature play area and worked with the Mount Barker council to ensure access to the oval across the road.
“We appreciate the patience shown by the school community during this process and will continue to provide updates to families and neighbouring property owners,” the spokesperson said.
“The most recent report into the matter has been received by the department this month, and along with other experts, we are reviewing the information to determine next steps.”
An email to a parent, seen by Murray Bridge News, put the delays with the playground replacement down to staffing issues: a lack of facilities and project managers.
Note: This story has been updated to include the department’s response.
