Thursday, 19 March 2026

 Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (10:09): With the May budget approaching, the government should finally honour Warrnambool College’s longstanding call for a safe, functional indoor stadium where the school community can gather together and students can play sport without risk. For years, students, parents and staff have engaged in good faith, believing they were working through the proper channels to secure something basic and essential. Yet the situation has only become more unacceptable. The existing facility has a leaking roof. When it rains, and in Warrnambool it rains a lot, the floor becomes wet, slippery and unsafe. Students are slipping, injuries are occurring and sport can only proceed when the weather cooperates. No Victorian school should be forced to operate under those conditions. Country students should not have to wait for sunshine to access physical education, nor should they be expected to learn in an environment that fails the most fundamental safety standards. Providing safe infrastructure is the responsibility of the Minister for Education, and the families are entitled to expect nothing less. I have raised this issue in the Parliament before and was deeply disappointed that the minister appeared unaware of how serious the situation had become, particularly given the school’s belief that it had been progressing this project through engagement with the minister’s local colleague. This community has already waited 15 years. They deserve certainty, not another setback. I call on the Allan Labor government to respect the good faith shown by Warrnambool College and deliver the safe indoor facility its students need and deserve in the May budget.