A NEW secondary school neighbouring Subiaco Oval is being investigated as the McGowan Government rethinks its controversial plan to relocate Perth Modern pupils to a high-rise building.

It is understood the WA Labor Government has identified Kitchener Park as one of a number of alternative inner-city locations on which to build a local intake school because of a fierce campaign to save Perth Modern.

Labor has faced mounting pressure since it announced an election promise to turn Perth Modern into a regular school and build a high-rise complex next to Perth railway station to house academically gifted children.

Under the revised plan now being considered, Government sources said Perth Modern would remain an academic-select school, while the new school could be constructed at Kitchener Park as part of a wider vision for the soon-to-be obsolete Subiaco Oval.

Other sites at East Perth and Northbridge are also being considered, as well as the option of making the proposed Education Central building at Perth City Link a general admissions school.

Camera Icon Credit: PerthNow

Last night, a spokesman for the Premier would not rule out the Kitchener Park proposal, saying only that the Government was “listening to the community”.

Meanwhile, former Federal Labor leader Kim Beazley has joined the growing legion of high-profile figures, which also includes ex-WA Governor Malcolm McCusker, calling for Perth Modern to keep its academically selective status.

Mr Beazley attended Hollywood Senior High, but both his parents were Perth Modern students.

He said the new school should be built in the western suburbs.

“They have to get more places into the western suburbs,” Mr Beazley said. “The demand is there. It has to be done. I’d like to see Perth Modern keep its character and I hope that’s the outcome.”

Kitchener Park is part of a reserve which is vested in the City of Subiaco for the purposes of “sporting ground, telecommunications facility, entertainment and ancillary or beneficial uses”.

Ownership is vested by the WA Government to the City of Subiaco, which leases the stadium to the WA Football Commission. The land is expected to revert back into Government hands once a $10 million a year deal is struck to play AFL at Perth Stadium.

City of Subiaco Mayor Heather Henderson said she would like to see Subiaco Oval and Kitchener Park retained as “green space”.

Perth Modern Society president Pete Farr said the group believed a new Subiaco Secondary College could be built on the north-west corner of the Perth Modern site, but the soon-to-be-vacated Department of Housing site in East Perth would also be suitable.