Announcements & Events

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited (DLCSL), in collaboration with St Agnes Catholic Parish (SACP), is excited to officially announce plans to relocate St Joseph’s Primary School to a new, purpose-built campus in Port Macquarie. This significant project represents our continued commitment to delivering high-quality Catholic education for generations to come.

“Our vision is to relocate St Joseph’s Primary School to a new, purpose-built campus that will serve the Port Macquarie community for generations,” said Adam Spencer, CEO and Director of Catholic Schools at DLCSL. “We are excited about the long-term vision of this project and the strengthening of Catholic education in Port Macquarie.”

Parish Priest for St Agnes’, Fr Paul Gooley, supported this saying “The plan for a new primary school has been many years in the making with the original development application being approved when the St Joseph’s Regional School was moved to the Thrumster/Sovereign Hills area in 2009. The move will ensure that the growth of our communities are catered for in a campus which is well designed and purpose-built.” Together the St Agnes’ Catholic Parish and the Diocesan schools office acknowledge the strong interest and unwavering support shown by the Port Macquarie community throughout this long-anticipated project. “We recognise and appreciate the community’s ongoing commitment to the development of St Joseph’s Primary School. We understand the desire for progress, and we are working diligently to bring this vision closer to reality,” Fr Gooley added.

Work to actively secure all necessary resources for the project continues. While the final steps for funding are still in progress, DLCSL and SACP remain committed to transparency and plans to provide regular updates to the school, parish, and wider community once a timeline and formal endorsement are secured.

The relocation of St Joseph’s Primary School to Thrumster will bring both schools back together again and will provide a seamless Catholic educational journey from primary to secondary years. As part of this process, current school enrolment zones are being reviewed, with community consultation forming a key part of the decision-making process. Only minor changes are anticipated with minimal to no impact to current families. Any changes will be communicated as the project progresses.

The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools together with St Agnes Catholic Parish, remains committed to working collaboratively with the Port Macquarie community to bring this vision to life.

For further media information contact:
Leesa Kwok – Media and Communications Manager
Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited
leesa.kwok@lism.catholic.edu.au or media@lism.catholic.edu.au
+61 429 575 722

St Carthage’s Primary School, Lismore and Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools (DLCS), are deeply troubled by revelations regarding historical allegations of abuse involving a former member of our community, Brother Jerome Hickman. While Brother Jerome served as Principal at St Carthage's Primary School, Lismore, from 1992 to 1996, it is alleged that incidents of abuse occurred prior to his tenure at our school.

There are no known complaints, allegations of abuse, or inappropriate conduct during his time at St Carthage's Primary School. Nevertheless, DLCS acknowledges the seriousness of these allegations and the profound impact they have on survivors and their families.

As an educational institution committed to the safety and well-being of our students and staff, DLCS stands firm in its dedication to supporting all victims of abuse. The courage it takes for survivors to come forward and share their experiences is recognised, and our unwavering support is offered to those affected.

In response to these revelations, St Carthage’s Primary School and DLCS are taking immediate steps to uphold the values of safety and integrity that define the school community. This includes removing all references to Brother Jerome from our school and renaming the associated colour house to symbolise our commitment to supporting survivors and safeguarding the well-being of our students and staff.

It is understood that this news may be distressing for members of our school community. Support resources have been made available for students, staff, and parents. DLCS remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the well-being of the entire community as this challenging situation is navigated together.

For more information regarding DLCS Child Safeguarding Commitment Statement, to raise a concern or report, please visit the DLCSL Child Safeguarding website.

For further media information, contact:

Leesa Kwok– Media and Communications Manager
Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited
leesa.kwok@lism.catholic.edu.au or media@lism.catholic.edu.au
+61 429 575 722

We are pleased to report that the Board of Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited has re-considered its decision to immediately enact the recommendation of the Flood Review Commission not to return the school to Woodburn.

Whilst the decision to ultimately relocate the school still remains, the Board of Directors have decided to return the school to its Woodburn site as the existing site in Evans Head continues to present challenges and limitations and further investment in infrastructure and facilities on the Evans Head site is problematic. We also acknowledge that many in the St Joseph’s School and Parish communities have been passionate in their desire to return the school to Woodburn.

We are deeply aware of the impact that the floods have had on many families and staff, and on the Woodburn community as a whole, and acknowledge the need for certainty and stability as they continue to work through their own recovery.

The Catholic Schools Office are currently scoping the refurbishment needs of the school site at Woodburn and investigating possible resilience strategies to mitigate risk and impact and we will have a clearer understanding of timeframes once this work is completed.

By its nature, the Northern Rivers region is prone to flooding. As much as we hope this will not occur, we also understand the school will likely be impacted again in the future. With this in mind, we must be prepared to accept that a flood in the future could mean the school would need to be moved again. On that basis our long-term strategy is still to relocate the school to a flood free site in the future.

We take this opportunity to thank Ms Jeanette Wilkins and Mrs Sophie Taylor for their leadership through such challenging times. I also thank Ms Wilkins and Mrs Taylor and all the staff of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School for their unwavering support and dedication to the school, students and community.

For further media information contact:
Leesa Kwok – Media and Communications Manager
Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Limited
leesa.kwok@lism.catholic.edu.au or media@lism.catholic.edu.au
+61 429 575 722