Tuesday, 13 August 2019

Melba College former junior school site

Mr HODGETT (Croydon) (19:17): (884) I rise today to draw to the attention of the Minister for Education the urgent need for more decisive action in moving the plans for the former Melba College Junior School campus on Croydon Road, Croydon, forward at a faster pace. The action I seek is for the minister to provide me with a briefing on the future plans for this site together with information and a time frame for the relocation of Croydon Community School to this site. For the last year and a half residents and community members have watched as vandals and squatters have desecrated the former Croydon High School-cum-Melba College junior school site. The Victorian School Building Authority, the VSBA, moved in after pressure from my office, boarding up the windows to try and reduce the vandalism. The action was no more than a bandaid approach and has not deterred the destruction of the vandals, as they are now pulling off the side panels from the lower sides of the vacant buildings and coming up into the former classrooms via the floorboards.

Neighbours have filmed the vandals as they continue to graffiti the site, and when they have approached they have been threatened personally as well as receiving threats to their personal property. Information relating to these vandals has been passed on to local police. However, the vandals know there is nothing the local community can do about it so they continue to trespass and further damage the site. I am aware that the VSBA and the Department of Education and Training have entered into a shared-use agreement with Maroondah City Council for the use and management of the gymnasium, oval, bushland and outdoor playing surface. However, the physical handover of the keys has not taken place due to the significant amount of damage that has occurred to the gymnasium. My office wrote to the VSBA in July looking for a time frame on when the damage to the gym will be repaired and when the council can start using this space. This correspondence was passed on to the minister’s office and I am still waiting on a response.

I am aware that the long-term use of the site is for the relocation of Croydon Community School. There is speculation that the existing site will be used for the relocation of the school, and there are conversations about the site being demolished and a new school being built. Neither of these options will be undertaken unless funding is allocated to the school, and based on the lack of any funding in this year’s state budget, this will not be happening any time in the near future. The community is acutely aware that the longer the site remains vacant, the more damage is done and the greater expense is incurred by the state. I call on the minister to provide me with a full briefing on the detailed plans for this site so that I can continue to keep the deserving local residents of Croydon informed on this very important matter.