Wednesday, 13 May 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (19:04): (2527) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education. The action I seek is that the minister allocate funding for substantial upgrades to New Gisborne Primary School. Victoria is supposed to be the Education State, but under the Allan Labor government students in the Macedon district are suffering. New Gisborne Primary School was one of 21 schools to be given the worst 2-star rating for the condition of their buildings, yet this school received no funding at all from the 2026–27 budget.

New Gisborne Primary School has a long history. It was founded in 1863 as a Church of England common school before becoming a state school a decade later. In the 1980s the old weatherboard schoolhouse was demolished and new classrooms were built for the growing number of students, but those buildings are 40 years old and now rather dilapidated. The Herald Sun fought for years to force the government to release its condition assessments for Victoria’s schools, and those documents reveal that New Gisborne Primary was among the group of schools that received the lowest 2-star score. The school has longstanding drainage problems. It sits lower than the street level, so heavy rainfall means run-off from the road or pavement runs down into the school, and despite receiving some funds in 2021 for water works, much more needs to be done. There are also troubling electrical problems. After a switchboard fire 15 years ago a new power board was installed, but many of the switches still have masking tape over them with written notes saying ‘Do not touch the switch due to fire.’ The school is financially stretched and does not have any money to carry out important maintenance work. When there was a fire in the art room in 2011 the local community had to raise the funds to replace the room themselves. Along with drainage and electrical upgrades, the school needs classroom upgrades, outside pavement repairs, replacement carpet and new furniture.

These students at this school deserve much better, but they have been let down by the local member for Macedon, who is retiring and has clearly given up on her electorate and did not secure vital funding for the school in her district. I am retiring too, but I am still fighting for my constituents in Macedon to get the schools, hospitals, train stations and intersection upgrades that they need and that they deserve. The massive housing development coming to Riddells Creek has parents worried about capacity at the local school. They have been told there is room at New Gisborne, but it is clear that the facilities and buildings there are not up to scratch and desperately need an upgrade before a wave of new students can arrive. I urge the minister to immediately allocate funding for substantial upgrades to the New Gisborne Primary School.