 |
| State Education Minister Martin Dixon visited Macedon Ranges schools including Woodend Primary School to announce maintenance funding on Wednesday. Mr Dixon met school vice-captain Jack Hansford, school captain Emily Hoey, and student representative Maggie Clune. Photo: Chris Fleming |
School maintenance has finally hit the State Government's priority list in a
funding announcement this week.
Education Minister, Martin Dixon, toured
local schools on Wednesday as he revealed funding allocations with Member for
Northern Victoria, Donna Petrovich and Federal candidate for Bendigo, Greg
Bickley.
The minister announced $51.5 million to be shared across the state
for school maintenance needs identified in an audit last year.
"The
independent maintenance audit of schools across the state has been an essential
part of understanding what schools had not received maintenance funding under
the previous Labor Government," Ms Petrovich said.
Kyneton Secondary College
(KSC) will receive this shire's most significant amount, an allocation of
$627,726.
The college has been calling for desperately needed maintenance
for years, while also enduring years of State Government knock backs for the K12
(kinder to year 12) Kyneton Education Plan. Without either solution, parents,
teachers and committee members resorted to undertaking their own maintenance
works in late 2010.
This funding allocation has come as relief to KSC,
principal Mark Ridgeway said.
"We were very, very happy and very excited.
It's great news," he said.
"It's going towards major maintenance of a number
of our buildings; the English wing, the woodwork wing, food technology wing and
the arts/textile/music wing."
Mr Ridgeway said the K12 project was discussed
at the minister's visit.
"What we've been campaigning for is the Kyneton
Education Plan. The minister indicated that that would be separate to this main
funding," he said.
"What he was saying was that they support our plans for
the Kyneton K12 plan and it was not a question of if, but more of
when."
Woodend Primary School, another school that has led a strong campaign
for maintenance, will benefit from $308,384.
In 2011 and 2012 the school
lobbied for state funds.
"While we all worked and waited for a response, the
school's fabric continued to decay and the associated safety risks increased,"
Woodend Primary School parent, Rebecca Colless said.
Ms Colless, a former
school council member, attended the announcement on Wednesday.
"This isn't a
special gift or new grant, it's the money owed to the school for a long time,"
she said.
"It is the government's responsibility to maintain our public
schools in a safe and presentable condition, in a timely fashion. I can't
congratulate the government for doing their job: (a) when we have had to nag
them to do it; and (b) late."
Other local schools to benefit from the funds
are Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist Schools ($416,055), Gisborne Secondary
College ($73,134), Romsey Primary School ($22,148), Bolinda Primary School
($55,876), and Clarkefield Primary ($3,824).
