Wednesday, 1 April 2026

 Jade BENHAM (Mildura) (19:13): (1625) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is to build the Cardross Primary School a new toilet block. The condition of the current toilet block at Cardross Primary School is very old, dilapidated and in vital need of an update, as it currently fails to meet the basic requirements of students. I have a letter from the school council vice-president Sherrin Madden, who has also written to the minister as a matter of urgency to get this rectified. Sherrin says that:

[QUOTE AWAITING VERIFICATION]

Our toilet block currently has a number of regulations which are not met as stipulated in the Building Quality Standards Handbook, May 2025. This includes ventilation, doors and partitions, lack of privacy, an open urinal and insufficient staff toilets.

In 2025 Cardross Primary School did get an accessibility grant in order to support a student with mobility needs. That resulted in the removal of a staff toilet to construct an accessible facility – which was obviously much needed – for a student, but that has resulted in leaving the primary school with only one staff toilet for currently 20 staff. The other toilet that staff can use is the old accessible one, which was not upgraded and is not up to code.

They are constantly spending money on repairs and maintenance, and they are a very, very small rural school. It is unsustainable for them, and they are unable to absorb all of those expenses.

In 2025 Cardross Primary School budgeted $22,000 for building works but ended up spending 124 per cent over that budget just in maintaining current buildings. The impact on students is increasingly concerning, as you could well imagine. A number of students are reluctant or fearful to use the current toilets, with some deliberately avoiding using the toilet throughout the day. I can understand parents’ frustration, because that would concern me also as a mother. That creates serious health risks. The condition of these facilities is directly compromising students’ health, dignity and the right to a safe and inclusive environment. I call on the minister to take immediate action and replace, upgrade and give Cardross Primary School their toilet block. This is the absolute bare minimum that the Department of Education should be supplying – the literal bare minimum of a student’s right to hygienic toilet facilities.