Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Mordialloc electorate schools

Mr RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (19:03): (6257) My adjournment this evening is to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to update my community on the expected completion dates for the Mordialloc College redevelopment and the Parkdale Secondary College redevelopment.

In Kingston and indeed across the south-eastern suburbs and Victoria we are building the Education State, and that could not be any more true than in my electorate of Mordialloc. We took a commitment in 2018 to deliver stage 2 of Mordialloc College’s redevelopment. It was an $8.6 million redevelopment for the early years centre, the year 7 and year 8 learning centre. I joined the new college captains, Daniel and Emma, and principal Michelle Roberts, and it was an absolute privilege to see that building really close to completion. It was a real honour to join the federal member for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus, and to see the progress and the delivery there.

When I was first elected Mordialloc College had about 700 students. It now has 1200 students and is going from strength to strength. In fact it did something that no other school has done: it took out the Lindsay Thompson award back-to-back, two years running. It is the equivalent of the Brownlow Medal for excellence in education. Michelle Roberts and Andrew McConchie both received that award. That is an outstanding representation of fantastic public education in our community, indeed in Victoria. Mordialloc College is an example of the delivery of first-class education.

Just up the road in Parkdale we had a $9.6 million commitment to build 18 new classrooms and learning spaces. The slab has been poured and the first level is going up. To join the college captains, Marcus, Maddy, Georgia and Rocco, and the team there recently to be shown around and get an update was absolutely outstanding.

Parkdale Secondary College is a destination school. People move into the area to attend this fantastic leader in education in Victoria. Led by principal David Russell, it is a flagship school that services our local community. Seeing the development and growth that has happened there and these new facilities coming out of the ground, we know the early year 7 and year 8 cohort into the future will be supported by the best facilities, because we want a first-class facility for the first-class education that is offered to our community. To see that happen, to see the commitments made by the Andrews Labor government, to see that journey that has been had and then those projects being delivered now and to know what that will mean for every student in my local community is a great privilege, and it has been wonderful to be a part of that journey and to see it evolve. I cannot wait to get an update from the education minister on the expected completion dates.

My local community is so excited at the progress of Mordialloc College and Parkdale Secondary College. We cannot wait to hear when these projects will be completed and delivered for our community into the future.