The WA Government is facing backlash over a planned land seizure for a new school. 

The Western Australian government has sparked a heated dispute by introducing legislation that would force the City of Perth to relinquish land for the construction of a new primary school in East Perth. 

The move, which involves repealing the Chevron-Hilton Hotel Agreement Act of 1960, has been met with fierce opposition from Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas, who has accused the state government of “bullying” and “stealing” city land.

The proposed school, which is slated to open in 2029, represents the largest investment in a primary school in the state's history, with a $150 million budget. 

The school is intended to serve the growing number of families living in Perth's inner city, which currently lacks a public primary school. 

The government argues that this development will address overcrowding in nearby schools and provide much-needed educational infrastructure.

The land for the school is currently part of the Queens Gardens Car Park, a site that can only be used as a car park under the Chevron-Hilton Act. 

The government plans to repeal this legislation, allowing the land to be reallocated for the school project. 

In addition, the government has committed to compensating the City of Perth with $4.2 million for the loss of car parking revenue during the construction period. 

The City will retain a portion of the land, valued at over $27 million, for future housing development.

However, the decision has led to a significant escalation in tensions between the WA Labor government and the City of Perth, particularly with Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas. 

Zempilas, who recently declared his candidacy for the Liberal Party in the 2025 state election, has accused the government of acting unilaterally and disregarding the city's concerns.

“Every time this state government doesn't get its own way, they spit the dummy and change legislation to bully their way through,” Zempilas stated on social media. 

He has claimed that the land is worth $40 million and that the government's offer is far from fair. 

“We said, ‘make us a fair offer’ - they have never made us a fair offer,” he said, describing the government’s actions as an “outrageous” abuse of power.

The Lord Mayor has indicated that legal options are being explored to challenge the government's actions. 

In response, Education Minister Tony Buti defended the government's actions, emphasising the need to build the school to meet the educational needs of the inner-city population. 

“We are not building Club Med here, we're building an inner-city primary school,” Buti said. 

He also pointed out that negotiations with the City of Perth had been ongoing since April 2023, but the City had been uncooperative, necessitating the legislative move.

Planning Minister John Carey echoed Buti's sentiments, describing the government's approach as “fair and considered”. 

Carey dismissed Zempilas's accusations as “pure politics”, citing past instances where the City of Perth had surrendered land for state developments, such as the Elizabeth Quay project under the previous Barnett government.