Thursday, 13 November 2025

 Nicole WERNER (Warrandyte) (10:09): That is excellent. I am partial to a good potato cake, so that is good to hear from the member for Cranbourne.

I rise to speak on the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee report on the 2025–26 budget estimates and firstly to speak on section 8.1, as it relates to support for small businesses. On that note, I congratulate the Jackson Court Traders Association (JCTA) on a brilliant Halloween event in Doncaster East. I first came to know the Jackson Court Trade Association as they were getting started. I was there at their very first meeting when they came together. That was when I started as a candidate for Warrandyte, and I have seen them go from strength to strength since. It has just been wonderful to see how they have come together for our community and for each other as local traders to promote this little shopping square in Doncaster East, not far from my office.

In fact it was the shopping area that was my local, growing up, with my local Aldi, tailor and drycleaner and one of my favourite pizza places at Zero95 Pizza. I thank Con, the JCTA president; my friends Diana from Royal Stacks and Jess from Meno Zero; and all the businesses involved, including Sportsafe mouthguards, Royal Stacks, Three Monkeys Place and all the Jackson Court traders. It was a great night for families and for local business. Well done to JCTA for your commitment to Jackson Court, our community and our local businesses.

Katie Hall: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance, we are on committee reports, not members statements. I would like to bring the member back to committee reports.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will encourage the member for Warrandyte to continue on the budget committee report.

Nicole WERNER: To now refer to section 4.3, as it relates to the Department of Education’s capital expenditure program and its repairing of our ageing facilities in the Public Accounts and Estimates committee report, I would like to note the celebration of Warrandyte Primary School, which recently marked the opening of its 1975 time capsule and the centenary of its historic stone building.

Mathew Hilakari: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, just to reference a page and then go on to a members statement is not a committee report.

James Newbury: This is bullying.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Brighton! I am trying to deal with this as quickly as possible. The member for Warrandyte was mentioning education and will continue on the budget report.

Nicole WERNER: Speaking of repairing ageing facilities – I was giving the context for Warrandyte Primary School – the PAEC report, 4.3, refers to ageing facilities for schools. An ageing facility in one of my local schools is at Warrandyte Primary School. I was giving context for that. While the members opposite can just jeer and say whatever they would like to say, Warrandyte Primary School is one of Victoria’s oldest schools. We are talking about ageing facilities, and this is a school that I have visited time and again, where this school community has raised with me issues like that the prep classroom has black mould and still has straw thatching in the roof from when it started. When I gave the context for this school, it was because they have just celebrated being one of the oldest schools in Victoria, so where it refers to in this Public Accounts and Estimates Committee report the ageing facilities of schools and then being supported, this is why.

This heritage building dates back to the 1850s, and the condition of its facilities has fallen far behind the needs of a growing school community. Parents and teachers have raised serious health and safety concerns, including the presence of the black mould that I referred to, asbestos in the walls of this school from the 1850s and structural issues with windowsills. Despite enrolments increasing by more than 50 per cent in the past year, this school has missed out on multiple rounds of capital works funding and is now relying on parent fundraising for basic repairs. The students and the staff deserve safe, modern facilities that support their wellbeing and learning, so I will be here in this place day in, day out, to fight for my local community, to fight for my local schools and to fight for funding for these issues that are so important to my local community, even if they are not budgeted for. It is something that I will continue to be vocal for in this place because it is our duty as local members. That is what our role is, so for that local primary school I will continue to fight.