Wednesday, 22 February 2023

 Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham – Minister for Education, Minister for Women) (14:27): There is no denying that under this government Victoria is the Education State, and it is so true when you have a look at the investments we have made in our new schools – state-of-the-art new schools. I would like to advise the house that this was confirmed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week, which said that more new schools have been built in Victoria than in any other state in the past five years. Almost half of Australia’s new schools were built here in Victoria. I know this is no surprise to the members for Tarneit, Yan Yean, Pakenham, Melton, Thomastown, Cranbourne, Werribee and Kalkallo because they have all seen new schools open in their areas and they have all seen new jobs delivered locally through these builds. Schools like Karwan, Nearnung Primary School, Thornhill or Barrawang – these are all schools which have kinders either being built on site or next door. They are absolutely amazing investments. They are great schools filled with enthusiastic teachers and really eager kids.

This has been the single biggest building program in education in our state’s history. In our previous two terms of government we spent $12.8 billion on infrastructure, upgrading our schools, making sure that our schools are inclusive and making sure that we are upgrading all of our specialist schools. And this has supported the creation of 17,400 jobs, including so many new apprentices which I have had the pleasure of meeting. As a student in this state your postcode will not determine your education opportunities or your outcomes. I am so pleased that this government has committed to a hundred new schools by 2026.