Tuesday, 7 February 2023

 Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (19:16): (14) My adjournment this evening is for the Minister for Education, and the action I seek from the minister is to visit Mordialloc College with me to discuss the next stage of works with principal Michelle Roberts and our commitment to further upgrades from the Andrews Labor government. When I reflect on the few years of Mordialloc College’s journey in the time that I have been the member of Parliament there, it has been a wonderful transformation that has occurred in education on that site. Under the leadership of principal Michelle Roberts we have seen the school go from 572 kids in 2014 to well over 1150 now. That growth has come with significant challenges. Some of the building challenges and infrastructure challenges are things we have had to respond to, and there have been stages of works that we have been able to deliver over that time, whether it is the performing arts centre and basketball stadium or the new year 7 and 8 learning centres and upgrades to the main buildings. But the next stage is a really exciting opportunity. $12.6 million has been committed. It is an exciting next chapter.

It is a snapshot of the investment that we are making across the region. Just recently we officially opened Yarrabah School, a specialist education setting, one of the first in recent school builds in the inclusive education space. Yarrabah was literally rebuilt brick by brick, something that the Premier and former Deputy Premier really strongly supported and worked on as well. There are upgrades at Chelsea Primary School; designs are just out recently. At Chelsea Heights Primary School we completed their build recently – their stage 1, $4.5 million upgrades. There are upgrades that we have done at Edithvale Primary. We have delivered upgrades at Aspendale Primary. Then if we think about Parkdale Secondary College, their junior learning centre is nearing completion in the next few months. When we look towards the areas that we have taken into the Mordialloc electorate recently, Keysborough Gardens Primary School will see a substantial upgrade, the Andrews Labor government having delivered that school in 2020 with their first students going through.

So when it comes to education, when it comes to investing in the teachers, the education support staff and the principals that give our kids the very best opportunity, this is an example of living your values and investing in the future. I cannot wait to invite the Minister for Education down to Mordialloc College to meet Michelle Roberts. Of course Mordialloc College is a two-time Lindsay Thompson Award winner, the equivalent of the Brownlow Medal they took out back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. It shows the excellence in education on this site. We are really proud of the work that they do. We give them a big shout-out, and I cannot wait to show off the school with the Minister for Education when we get the opportunity.