Wednesday, 19 March 2025

 Jess WILSON (Kew) (19:18): (1079) My adjournment is for the Minister for Education, and the action I am seeking is the fair allocation of funding for schools in the electorate of Kew. The electorate of Kew is home to more than 30 schools and education is at the very core of our community, but our local state schools require their fair share of capital funding to be able to provide the education that our community deserves and expects. Before every budget handed down by this government since I was elected I have advocated for this funding. However, each time there has been no new capital funding allocated to a single school in Kew, Kew East, Balwyn, Balwyn North or parts of Canterbury, Mont Albert and Surrey Hills. Time and time again, the Allan Labor government has failed to deliver for my local community.

Meanwhile we hear the news that this Labor government has overseen taxpayers money being paid to organised crime through dealings with the CFMEU. We hear of bikies earning up to $10,000 a week for fake jobs on the Big Build. We hear of horrific violence against women linked to government worksites. Labor has prioritised using taxpayers money to fund cover-ups, union thuggery and organised crime at the expense of essential services. This corruption and waste cannot continue. It is Victorians who pay the price.

It has been 80 years since Kew East Primary School has received any significant state funding for capital works, and the school desperately needs an urgent upgrade. I ask that the government commit $6.5 million to replace the outdated buildings and build eight new permanent classrooms, a staff room and an office area.

Canterbury Girls Secondary College has had no substantive investment in its facility in decades and is seeking urgent upgrades. Back in 2021 there was an incident at the school where a wall collapsed, sending bricks and glass crashing to the floor. Luckily, no-one was hurt as students were in class at the time, but the school had more than 100 staff and 1000 students onsite. This is an unacceptable risk to students and teachers. We committed to investing in Canterbury Girls – $12.2 million to prepare and deliver a new master plan for its campus. The school facilities are dated and impractical, with spaces such as the science and art classrooms no longer supporting the needs of both students and teachers. I call on the minister to step up and provide this much-needed funding.

Balwyn Primary School is a thriving local primary school with consistently strong NAPLAN results. However, enrolments have nearly doubled since 2011 and facilities have not been upgraded to reflect the significantly increased numbers. I call on the government to commit $6.1 million for the development of a school master plan and upgrades, including new classrooms, toilet facilities, staff facilities and sick bay facilities. From working with local school representatives and parents, I know that this investment is desperately needed.

I call on the government to fund Kew High School. I call on the government to make sure that Chatham Primary School has the next phase of its works actually delivered. I call on the minister to get his priorities right and commit to fair funding for the students who attend these state schools in the electorate of Kew.