Wednesday, 29 November 2023

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee

Report on the 2023–24 Budget Estimates

Wayne FARNHAM (Narracan) (10:29): I am pleased to rise today on committee reports, and I am talking on the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee 2023–24 budget estimates papers, chapter 4, page 49, clauses 4.1, 4.3, 4.4.1 and 4.4.2. We all know education in this state is extremely important, and no more important than in rural and regional Victoria. Having read the report and knowing what is going on in my electorate at the moment, it would seem that rural and regional Victoria are a little bit forgotten. I attended a community meeting on Sunday night out at Neerim, and the residents there are very, very concerned that their school is earmarked for closure. Just last week I heard the Honourable Minister for Education say ‘upgrading all our schools across the state’. I obviously shouted something out and was ejected at that point in time, but the reason I shouted something out is because I have a community here whose school has received a letter from the Department of Education to consult with them on shutting the school down. What concerns me is the process we go to in doing this. I have to say this, because to me this makes no sense.

In 2019 – and this is specific to Neerim District Rural Primary School – the school was de-staffed. In 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 they had no increase in their enrolments. Now, let us look at those years: two of those years were COVID, and then we have got 2022–23. What I do not understand is: when you de-staff a school, how can you increase enrolments? The government’s own website says:

Pride and Confidence in our Schools

Making sure every community has access to excellence, in every government school and classroom.

That includes Neerim Rural District Primary School, and the parents out there – I was out there for over an hour at this community meeting – were telling me if there was a principal there, there could be 40 students in that school tomorrow. This school is a viable school. I know many in metro Melbourne will think 40 students is not a big school. You are right; it is not a big school. But these rural schools in rural Victoria are so important because what they actually do is give parents choices. Especially post COVID, some kids now cannot cope with 600, 700 or 800 students in a school, so parents will choose to put them into a smaller rural school to reignite their social abilities et cetera. Closing this school is going to be such a burden on this community, because unlike in metro Melbourne, where you will get a school just around the corner, in rural Victoria you have to travel. If this school closes, some parents will spend 80 minutes a day on the road getting their child educated. I think every community in Victoria deserves to have a school.

In my electorate we have not had one new public school built in the last 50 years. The only new public school has been Warragul specialist school. That is the only new public school. And the problem is Warragul and Drouin are exploding in population, so these small rural schools take that overflow. Labertouche Primary, for example, has gone from 33 students to 66 students in the last two to three years. I appreciate the government’s emphasis on education, and I support the government’s emphasis on education, but what I want the government to do, as per their report and what the report says, is invest in rural schools.

I went out to Neerim District Rural Primary School and I put my builders hat on, and I reckon for $3 million you could renovate this school into a first-class facility. It could be a one-stop shop for education with early learning as well, because they have the space. So I urge the government: do what you say you are going to do, keep Neerim District Rural Primary School open and invest in it.