Thursday, 3 April 2025

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (09:46): Here in the Education State I am proud of the investments our government has made in every school across my electorate. From bushfire preparedness to major redevelopments and two brand new school builds, to breakfast clubs, to prep bags and to Smile Squad as well as the school saving bonus, we are making sure that families are getting the help that they need so that their kids can access a first-class education.

Visiting schools is always a highlight for me, and I can tell you that good things are growing in spades at Kyneton High School. With support from VicHealth and their Growing Healthy Communities grants and Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, the school’s kitchen garden is undergoing a complete transformation, led by the students. More than 200 kids at Kyneton High will roll up their sleeves to create an orchard and edible food forest alongside a new pizza oven, with some bench seating made by the students themselves. Big thanks go to school leaders Sarah Dillon and Maverick Kelly for showing me around on the day.

At Gisborne Secondary I joined student leaders to cut the ribbon and officially open the stage 1 upgrades, which include a new admin building and first-class facilities for staff, a student wellbeing centre and a senior learning centre. But more is on its way: this government is building a brand new trades hub for kids pursuing hands-on learning at – (Time expired)