Thursday, 6 March 2025

 Melissa HORNE (Williamstown – Minister for Ports and Freight, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Minister for Health Infrastructure) (09:57): There is so much happening across all the schools in my electorate. Just a couple of weeks ago I was delighted to go down to Wembley Primary School to celebrate the opening of their brand new building. This building was originally built in 1958, but now it has got state-of-the-art classrooms thanks to a $10.2 million investment. That includes flexible learning places, dedicated areas for music, art, STEM and Spanish plus a fabulous new playground. Great schools, though, also support great teachers, and Principal Vassie, Acting Principal Katie and all the teaching staff now have great offices, a staffroom and conference rooms, really helping them to provide great education. But beyond Wembley I was delighted this morning to ring Gino Catalano, the executive principal of Williamstown High, to let him know that he will be receiving $2.5 million to repair the Q-block at the Pasco campus. This is a historic building, so being able to upgrade that is fantastic. That adds to the modernised year 12 study centre and a new performing arts centre. Bayside college has got a new STEM facility as part of a $6.7 million upgrade, works are underway at Seaholme Primary School for an inclusive playground and at Altona Primary School a builder has just been appointed to put in new fencing, landscaping and play equipment. There is not a school across the Williamstown district that has not benefited from the Andrews Labor government.