This means children living in West Warrnambool, Koroit or Port Fairy may not be able to attend Warrnambool College in 2017 unless they can meet particular criteria.

If the school remains at capacity, students looking to enrol at the secondary school next year will be prioritised according to a set of criteria, one of which is whether they live in the appropriate “neighbourhood area”.

A map of the school zones shows the boundary between Warrnambool and Brauer colleges running in a north-easterly direction between the showgrounds and the base hospital parallel to Murray Street and extending in a straight line to a location just north of the Terang-Woolsthorpe Road.

At that point it meets the Mortlake P-12 boundary. The map also details boundaries with Terang College and Timboon P-12.

According to the Department of Education and Training’s enrolment policy, which is on Warrnambool College’s website, “when the number of enrolment applications exceeds the number of places available and enrolment capacity has been reached”, priority is given to enrolling students who live in the school’s “neighbourhood area”, students with siblings at the school, and students seeking enrolment on specific curriculum grounds.

Warrnambool College’s capacity is 1225. Principal David Clift said enrolments were “within 25 … of that number”. Meanwhile across town at Brauer College there are 800 students, well short of the school’s 1400 capacity.

“The two schools are working very closely together to ensure that all students in Warrnambool can have a purposeful, relevant, effective and meaningful learning process,” Mr Clift said.

He said the zones had existed for some time but had never been triggered before.

Warrnambool College has about 180 year 12 students this year and the average year seven intake typically exceeds 200 students.

The school held an open night this week and Mr Clift said a few parents asked about zoning.

“We had a couple of calls this morning and we were able to elaborate on aspects of the policy,” he said, adding it was “not a Warrnambool College policy” but a state government policy. 

“It’s important people realise they still have the option of seeking enrolment in a government school.

“If (the school is) at capacity it then has to follow the policy.”