Parliament hears about Gracemere

MEMBER for Rockhampton Bill Byrne handed a petition bearing 3000 names for the development of a secondary school in Gracemere to Parliament last month.

Mr Byrne said supporters would now play the waiting game, with a response from the Education Minister expected by August 30.

At the Education Queensland-owned proposal site yesterday, Gracemere Community Voice secretary Irene Lovejoy said the region desperately needed a high school.

"There are 800 secondary school kids who travel from here to Rockhampton every day," she said.

"In 2015 Year 7s will go to high school too.

"Money either has to be spent on expanding Rockhampton High or it has to be spent here."

Ms Lovejoy said the petition was started in March and, with almost one-third of the population signing it, she hoped it would be hard to ignore.

"We've put ourselves out there," she said.

"It's quite a large petition, so hopefully the government's going to sit up and take notice."

Mr Byrne said he fully supported the idea.

"I've spoken to a number of parents who said it would make their lives dramatically more convenient," he said.

"At the end of the day it comes down to whether the money and justification are there."

Ms Lovejoy said a sub-committee of the Community Voice group had been formed to continue ongoing lobbying for the proposal and provide community ownership.

She said anyone was welcome to join the committee, which would meet next month.