Thursday, 14 August 2025

Northern Victoria Region

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:54): (1756) My question is for the Minister for Education. Minister, will you order new, safe and clean toilet facilities to be built for students at Swan Hill College? Last month students at Swan Hill College hit the news after a video they made about the dilapidated toilets at the school went viral. The school’s year 12 captains have called out the atrocious state of the bathrooms and garnered almost 900 signatures on a petition to improve the facilities. Bathrooms at public schools should offer a safe and clean environment where all students can have dignity and privacy while using the toilets, but the facilities at Swan Hill College fail to meet this standard. The toilets are outdated and regularly broken, dispensers do not work, the faulty waste system leaves the air thick with pungent fumes, and gaps under the doors and some students sitting on rafters looking down into cubicles leave many students anxious about their privacy. The minister must take note of the students’ plea and act immediately to fix these toilets to give Swan Hill students the safe, clean and private facilities they deserve.

Sitting suspended 12:56 pm until 1:04 pm.